Suzanne Mason, Hoani Kristin Smith, the Manager of the Lincoln University Basketball Team and Simon Lafaele, one of the Team Player specially arranged to visit FGS Christchurch on September 8. There were warmly welcomed by BLIA South Island Committee, Kokwei Low, Tracy Chen and the President of Subchapter 2 Cao Qian.
The 2023 Buddha’s Light Cup University Basketball Tournament was completed on August 7. Both the New Zealand men’s and women’s basketball teams made it to the quarter-finals with outstanding achievement. They both won third place in the tournament. The women’s basketball team defeated Taipei City University with a score of 82:69 while the men’s team beat Nagoya with a remarkable result of 80:52 to take the third place.
FGS NZ Venerable Abbess Manshin led the team to publish a < 2023 BLIA Cup Special Edition> for the New Zealand Basketball Team to record the wonderful and proud moments. On behalf of the Temple, the BLIA South Island Committee, Kokwei Low presented this special issue, the publication of the <2023 FGS NZ Activity Report>, and the BLIA Cup Basketball Souvenir to the Lincoln University representative.
The representatives were touched and eagerly opened it to read once they received the special issue. Hoani, the Manager expressed that he plans to share this special edition with the Vice Chancellor and the Lincoln University Library for collection. The wonderful memories that the team traveling around the FGS Temple Headquarters in Taiwan and the moment they practiced the calligraphy at Buddha Memorial Center were still vivid in his mind.
He thanked the hospitality of the BLIA Cup organizer for the special arrangement to always prepare the ice packs for the team to cool down in hot weather. Suzanne praised the tranquillity and peacefulness of the Temple’s environment and hopes to visit to FGS Buddha Memorial Center in the near future.
Kokwei Low shared a video about the FGS NZ Activities Report and introduced the interaction between the Temple and the local community and schools. Hoani thanked the Temple for the warm hospitality and the team were delighted to participate in the BLIA Cup again.