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Bhutan's
Sports: Basketball |
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Bhutan Information |
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Basketball
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Coronation Cup
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| The DHL team play against Gravity |
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by the number of teams participating and the large number of spectators
at the only indoor basketball court in the capital, the fervour for basketball
seems to be picking up.
About
30 teams are taking part in the ongoing annual coronation tournament and
seven are women teams. There are players as young as 14-years and as old
as 57-years. |
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A number of teams are new, comprising mostly of school students
and a few young office goers who still take time out from their work for
the love of the sport.
"People
from all walks of life are taking part in this tournament," said one of
the organisers and sponsors, Soenam Dorjee. "There are also a good number
of spectators for every game. About three matches are played every day,
from five pm to eight pm.
"I
think the game is picking up," Soenam Dorjee said.
To
attract participants and spectators alike, the organisers said they had
to create a buzz that they were going to have great music, dance shows
and even cheer leaders for the finals. "It worked," he said.
The
organisers have also bought about 40 basketballs, three pairs of boards
and five pairs of rims, which they intend to distribute in other parts
of the country as a start to popularise the game.
A
few balls will also be kept at the swimming pool court so that basketball
enthusiasts needn't worry about bringing their own ball.
"All
this is a part of our strategy to encourage people to play," Soenam Dorjee
told Kuensel. "We want to keep this sport in continuity among the youth."
A
few expatriates who went to watch a game were, however, taken aback by
the name of one team who called themselves 'Nazis'.
The
league round of the tournament has reached its second round and 16 teams
are out. The finals will be played on June 3, 2006.
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| Contributed
by Samten Wangchuk , Kuensel 2006 |
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