Mason (in blue) scored the highest points in the game with 18. Photos by Three Goodness Sports Association
The 10th BLIA Cup University Basketball Tournament is back! This summer basketball extravaganza, co-hosted by Fo Guang Shan Fo Guang University and the Kaohsiung City Government, officially kicked off on August 2nd, 2023 at the Kaohsiung Arena. In the first game, which carried significant implications, the New Zealand National Team defeated the National Kaohsiung Normal University with a score of 87 to 69.
The 2023 BLIA Cup which runs from August 2nd to August 7th, has invited a total of 16 strong teams, from USA, Philippines, Malaysia, Japan, Taiwan and New Zealand to compete.
After being suspended for 3 years due to the pandemic, the last time the BLIA was held was July 21, 2019. Today, National Kaohsiung Normal University, faced off against New Zealand. New Zealand relied on a third quarter score of 24 to 9, causing National Kaohsiung Normal University to miss all of their 9 three-point attempts in the third quarter, successfully pulling ahead in the second half and securing a victory in the first game of this year’s BLIA Cup.
In the New Zealand team, Corban Mason was the best with 18 points and 10 rebounds, Brayden Inger had 12 points and 7 rebounds, and Noa Price had 11 points and 6 rebounds; Liangzhe Wei from National Kaohsiung Normal University led with 17 points and 5 assists, followed by Xuanwei You with 11 points.
Before the match, New Zealand even performed the Haka war dance. Mason said that this is the best way for everyone to understand the local culture of New Zealand; Coach Leyton Haddleton pointed out that the war dance not only represents respect for the enemy, but also symbolizes the spirit of New Zealand’s courage to challenge.
The composition of the New Zealand team is mainly from the local Lincoln University Sport Team. Both the male and female basketball players are visiting Taiwan for the first time. The team’s advisor, Mitchell Langton, is the only team staff with experience in Taiwan.
In 2019, Langton, in his capacity as coach, led the University of Otago, New Zealand, to participate in the BLIA Cup, making it the first time a New Zealand team had participated in the Cup’s history. He said, “In New Zealand, there are very few opportunities to participate in events of such a grand scale. The BLIA Cup, whether in terms of audience numbers or everyone’s passion for the game, has brought us many benefits.”
Through Langton’s connection, there is again a New Zealand team in Taiwan for exchanges this year. The first game ended in a smooth victory. He expressed that being able to start the entire competition with a victory is always good. The team’s goal is to make it into the top four first and then strive for the best results.
Original News from https://www.merit-times.com/NewsPage.aspx?unid=852926
