Fortunately, this year we’ve got a few talented players who’ve actually played and competed at the college level; some even better than us. This meant that for the first time, we would have a proper starting line up. What was required now was time for the players to practise and get acquainted, build trust and become a team. But time was a luxury we didn’t have and there were certain “management issues” that served to nail our coffin.

For the team to function as one, players were supposed to stay back after university to focus on the game but they didn’t have any accommodation. So we were given the privilege of using the hostel “Bolan” for our journey back to the city campus. Now, the participating teams were required to compete with atleast 12 players. Let’s assume for a minute that the team actually stayed back for practice and that all 12 enthusiastic players showed up. Now imagine them 12 players all cramped in our hostel’s “bolan express” and let me remind you that Saad Mehmood of TS-4 is in our lineup. Fortunately for the health and well-being of all the players and unfortunately for the team, no one stayed back. This year, our lineup mainly consists of freshmen and almost all of them had issues being dropped off at the city campus. Some of the students live in far off areas and they felt they didn’t have what it took to use public transport after a hectic day of studies/ basketball practice. It was a fair enough argument if you come to think of it. I mean here are students who are trying to get used to the exhausting journey of just coming to TIP and it hasn’t been a week since their first day and they are asked to represent their university. But apparently these points were futile against our university’s new “policies”. I even brought my car one day just so a few players could travel in peace but well…the rest is history.

Now to the tournament, which started on the eve of Thursday 7^th September. Our first match was against D.M.C. Prior to the match, I ran across the Mehran University Basketball team. They seemed to remember us; not that our past performances against them have been memorable. Their point guard and captain told me he was relieved that TIP was participating because that way, they’d atleast win one match. That remark really got to me and I wanted to punch that guy’s teeth down his throat. But that’s not how things are taken care of on a basketball court and besides, he was right. All the matches that MEUT has won in the past have been against TIP. Anyways, coming back to D.M.C. Now, this was not a proper basketball team; not that we were. I mean a few players seemed to have the basic skills but they were overdoing every exercise during the stretching, as doctors normally tend to do. But they had a few things our team didn’t have; their players were well acquainted amongst themselves and they had had a day’s team practice. Inspite of the fact that I learned the names of half of my team-mates on my way to the Greenwich Court and that almost everyone on our team played a one-man game except of a couple, we were still able to put up a fight. We were leading D.M.C. till half-time, but our fouls got the better of us in the 2^nd half and we gave away too many free-throws. Eventually we lost by a difference of one point. The final score was 15-16. This was the 1^st time that TIP’s basketball team came close to winning a match and the credit goes to the freshmen in our lineup, Arsalan and Sajjad in particular. Arsalan scored 10 of TIP’s 15 points. He is the best basketball player to hit TIP after Zain of TDT-4 in my opinion. Aasim played an all-round game and he contributed with a couple of points and assists. He put his body on the line on more than a few occasions and was badly hurt during the match. I played one of the worst games of my life, offensively. My personal highlight for the evening was zero fouls. I was, however, able to keep the defense real tight at my end but well, it doesn’t really matter, because the best defense is a strong offense. The day ended on a satisfied note, for me in particular, because I knew that we’ve got a winning team at our hands waiting to be harnessed. I even heard the coach of the D.M.C. team say he didn’t have a clue how they managed to win when we were in the cafeteria for refreshments.

On Saturday, 9^th September, TIP basketball team was victorious for the first time in our university’s history. I wish I could say it was an intense match with twists and thrills but that wasn’t the case. The rain on Friday and the heavy traveling that Mehran University students had to do came to our aid and on Saturday, we were given a walkover.

Our next match was against the two time defending zone champions and the hosts of the tournament: Greenwich University. Now this was like throwing meat to a lion or something to that effect but we played this match anyway because we wanted the new players to experience how a university team of professional proficiency operates. But it wasn’t exactly a walk in the park for them. And even though the scores may suggest otherwise, we gave them a run for their money. Given the fact that we had no practice after our defeat the other night, the way we penetrated their defense was commendable. I mean if we had played against D.M.C. the way we played against Greenwich, I swear we would’ve kicked their lab-coated ****. Arsalan was again the pick of the players with 12 points. Adnan Dohadwala (TS-4) came up with a few offensive rebounds and scored 4 points from tight spots. Aasim came up with a few points and steals. Offensively I played a much better game. I assisted 4 of the 6 shots Arsalan scored on and had a few blocks and 4 fouls to my credit. The final score was 36 – 18 which is very respectable considering it was 24 – 8 at half-time. There were a number of foul calls which were debatable. I was a personal favorite of the referees when a Greenwich player nearly took my fingers off at a 3-point attempt I took and was not awarded a foul and then on another occasion, a clean block of mine was called a foul. But I guess that’s what home-court advantage is all about.

Our next match was against A.K.U. on Monday, 11^th September. We didn’t play that match because frankly, after the tiresome weekend we had had, the team didn’t have the steam to play another match especially after university. The tournament ended on a positive note for us, as we were able to discover the potential and talent among the freshmen waiting to be groomed. We have got everything a team representing any university dreams of: a sports coordinator whose contacts can get us into all kinds of tournaments, a talented and well-respected coach, a line up of athletes with spunk, energy and determination, a home-court. Our university has the necessary resources to ensure that a fighting, competent team represents its name in the upcoming tournaments. What is required is the co-operation of our university’s management and a little flexibility in its policies.

Yes, human sacrifice was made on Saturday, 18th March when the TIP basket-ball team went up against Mehran University in the 1st game of the HEC basket-ball tournament and lost by a score of 23 – 06 or to quote an Urdu saying, “bakre ki balli char gayi”.

Friday started with a lot of confusion when our captain Shayan had to drop out of the squad due to a family emergency. The lineup was short of two regular players as it is and with Shayan gone, the team was left with Aasim Ahmed and yours truly. There was a point in the day, when it was decided that the team wouldn’t go as the players hadn’t had enough practice and we didn’t have a complete starting lineup. The players, all packed up to leave for home, suddenly received the breaking news at the end of the day that TIP is required to participate as we had been given the grand honour of the opening game of the tournament and playing before the chief guests.

Accompanied by tension and drama, our team left for Hyderabad on Friday evening at around 6. The squad was lead by our newly appointed coach Sir Yousuf Khan and consisted of Aasim Ahmed and myself, Amar Ata (TMM-2), Adnan Dohadwala and Saad Siddique (TS-3B), Dara Amir Khan and Haziq of AMM-1 and our beloved cheerleader/photographer Schallim Reuben.

The expectations were low and since we were going just for the sake of participation, we tried to chill out once we got to Hyderabad. Our coach tried to make sure we had a good time and kept our spirits high. I met a few old friends and ex-team mates, which is always good. Friday night was well spent considering the day and the journey we had been through.

Saturday started in similar fashion and we tried to make the best of the breakfast we had and tried not to think about what lay ahead. I knew that we were in an uphill battle but I didn’t know it would be this bad. When we got to the court, I was shocked to find that I had been nominated as the captain of the team. Now I have done a lot to promote this sport in TIP but I never expected it would put such a big responsibility on my shoulders. The match started at around 11 and we had lost it from the beginning. The opposition was an average team and their efforts were ordinary but we were the team that appeared to have no sense of the game whatsoever. We tried playing as a team; rotating the ball, being un-selfish, but we were dis-functional and dis-oriented and made a complete mockery of the sport. Aasim and I tried to make things happen at our end but our attacks were too monotonous for the opposition and we failed to score anything. The 1st quarter ended with the score: Mehran University 6 and TIP nothing.

The 2nd quarter started with a bang: I got hit pretty bad in the groin while trying to block a shot. I was substituted and Amar come into the game. This time around, they weren’t as forgiving as 1st quarter. Yet they were unable to convert many open chances. TIP got possession in bits and pieces but the turnover rate was too high. Amar and Aasim got a couple of free throws but neither of them was able to put points on the board. The half ended with the score: Mehran University 15, TIP 0.
The start of the 3rd quarter was the same: Mehran University had most of the possession but they were continually missing their shots. Atleast they were taking chances unlike us. The only sense of life was coming from our coach Sir Yousuf Khan, who was yelling his heart out to his players, telling them what to do. Then lightening struck and Dara scored for TIP finally breaking the knot. TIP started to get some support from my friends in the crowd when I was sent back in the dying seconds of the quarter. The quarter ended with the score: Mehran University 21, TIP 2.

The last quarter is probably was undoubtedly the most dramatic. Personally speaking, I was tired of being the defensive play-making guard. I hadn’t tried to score once in the game but that was about to change. It took a kick in the groin to tell me it was time the tables turned. And they did, as we somehow clicked as a team out of the blue and suddenly Mehran University started turning over the ball. Amar penetrated the defense like a real pro, Haziq and Aasim stole the ball a few times, Dara got some rebounds and I chipped in with a few steals and a rebound. Still, we were unable to put more points on the board. Thanks to my ex-team mates, the crowd seemed to chant my name every time I got the ball and I thank God I didn’t disappoint them. I got the chance to score late in the 4th quarter. I took two shots and sunk them both down the rim. I roared to the crowd and they responded with a loud cheer. We let Mehran University score only once in the quarter and the match ended with the score: Mehran University 23, TIP 6.

I caught up with my old friends when we went for refreshments and they said I shook the crowd out of their sleep. One of them said that I was the winner in the last quarter. Although what my friend said about me being the winner was actually an attempt to mock me but I hate to admit; the moment felt real nice and I felt good about myself. But it doesn’t undo the fact that the “Capo di tutti capi” failed to deliver. For all those who don’t hang out with Schallim, capo di tutti capi means “the boss of all bosses”.

There were a few setbacks in the match: Aasim penetrated beautifully but was unable to convert the opportunities he got, I got kicked in my nuts before I started producing any results, we were unable to get into the zone with the ball in our hands, there was a lot of confusion among the newly drafted players etc.

In spite of what happened, I will say this: If victory belonged to the spirited, then we were unbeatable that day. But I’m afraid there’s more to a win than just being in high spirits.

PS. Schallim, you’ll always be the real “Capo di tutti capi”

Yes, TIP Street-ball happened. The tournament which was supposed to take place last semester came through and finally took place on the eve of 22nd February at about 5:30 and ended at around 8: 30 with a lot of laughter and entertainment for the crowd.

SCOREBOARD

GAME 1: ROCKERS (8) – STRIKERS (4)

GAME 2: TMM4 (4) – HATO BACHO (3)

GAME 3: SHABI’S THREE (2) – STRIKERS (6)

GAME 4: HATO BACHO (5) – ROCKERS (7)

GAME 5: TMM4 (4) – SHABI’S THREE (2)-fouled out

FINAL: ROCKERS (11) – TMM4 (4)

I must admit, TIP Street-ball being the first tournament I conducted, had many moments of frustration and sheer anger. I had to alter many mandatory rules, change the format of the tournament and make all sorts of exceptions just to get things going. And although the purpose of this tournament was not completely accomplished, the response I got was well if I said promising I would be pushing it a bit. But in all seriousness, the tournament definitely created awareness that there exists this modified version of basketball called “street-ball’ and its all about having fun.

The participation was kind of below the mark. I was expecting to see some fresh blood on the court and all I got were old horses many of whom couldn’t even run. But there were two valiant freshmen Haziq Ahmed and Dara Amir of AMM1 who had joined forces to take on a game they’d never played before. Their team “Strikers” put up a show which had its moments of awe. I’ve got to hand it to them – The enthusiasm shown by these youngsters for a game which requires an education was tremendous. They lost their first match but came back strongly in the second when they beat Shabi’s Three by 6-2. The “Strikers” came out in third place.

There was another freshman, Ali Haroon of TDT1, who had formed the team “Hato Bacho” with TMM4′s Shayan who also happens to be TIP’s basket-ball team captain. Their team had a tight first match with the team representing TMM4 and a high scoring second match with the “Rockers” but lost both of them largely due to a mediocre performance by the freshman. The cheers he got in the second match did nothing but affect his play in the game. He was however, successful in scoring a point in each match.

The tournament final was between the team representing TMM4 and the “Rockers”. Both teams were unbeaten in the two matches they played. The elimination matches were a race to 9 points with a time limit of 12 minutes. The final was a race to 11 points with a time limit of 15 minutes. None of the matches had seen a victory where a team was able to actually get to the 9 point mark. But the final was an exception. Not only did the “Rockers” score 11 points, they did in good time and style. Adnan Dohadwala of TS3B and Abdul Rehman of AMM3 proved to be too good a team for their opponents. Abdul Rehman scored 10 points in the match and was well assisted by Adnan who chipped in with a point and a few steals. TMM4 were only able to score 4. Abdul Rehman was also the unanimous choice for the “Player of the Tournament” award by both me and Aasim Ahmed, my fellow coordinator and referee.

The most entertaining match of the tournament was the one played between TMM4 and Shabi’s Three. I mean, this was a match which had the crowd roaring, got many cheers from the back and even had Aasim and me laughing like crazy. There wasn’t a moment in the match when the Shabi’s Three didn’t commit a foul. Salman of TS2B became the first player in the tournament to receive a technical when stampeded Amar of TMM2 across the court. Shabi of TS2B was next. He literally clung to the back of TMM4′s Kamal, who’s a walking mountain of muscle himself. But this didn’t stop “Shabi’s Three” and they continued on their rampage of committing fouls. Aasim’s look from across court suggested amusement and confusion both on the style of the play taking place and my laughter rather than proper officiating. Eventually, Salman was fouled out of the game when he was given the second technical foul for excessive physical play. Then, Ali Hakeem of TS2A came into the match and tried to create an impression in his own way. But Shabi took the responsibility of committing fouls upon him and was ultimately given the second technical foul. “Shabi’s Three” had to forfeit because they had no other substitutes.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Sir Ali Hafeez for constantly supporting TIP street-ball, Ghazanfar Bhai who took great interest in our tournament and stood by us during the entire thing, Raza for providing us with the necessary equipment and most of all, a date for the tournament and all the players who participated in it. Above all I would like to thank Aasim who was probably the only person I could turn to during this tournament and who made sure that I kept my cool and things went the way we had planned. He was the one who didn’t let me stray during the entire thing – dude, if I were a chick, I’d definitely dig u. And I would also like to thank all my colleagues from different batches who with their cynicism and sarcasm continually motivated me.

You may have heard the news that TIP is considering hiring a coach. Getting a coach for sports and fitness is a good start. He maybe able to inspire the sportsman in all of us. I know a lot of students who are good at more than just one sport and are not given due opportunity, may it be prejudice or politics – that’s a different story.

But this initiative will fail if the person appointed is not given the due authority and finances to get things done around here. Being a member of the sporting community, I still don’t understand a few norms we follow. But I’ve got my place in the sport I play so I continue to make efforts for it.

I hope this step will create due awareness about sports required around this place because seriously we have a lot of time to kill around here – more than we would to admit!