![]() The precise shooter was also an accomplished dribbler, extremely adept at making deceptive body feints while driving towards the basket, often leaving stunned opponents flummoxed. To further hone his skills, he joined the Chin Woo Athletic Association, where his coach made him shoot smaller hoops to be more accurate. After school, he would continue playing until sundown. His love affair with the sport started on the court of Yangzheng Primary School, where he engaged, barefooted, in daily games during recess. He is the player on the right of the court in jersey no. “When I see a ball, I always feel like I must play,” said the soft-spoken Ho.įrom childhood passion to the Olympic dream Mr Ho’s love affair for basketball started when he was a kid, he continued to play competitively for 26 years after the 1956 Olympics. Despite his advanced years, he can still be found on the court at the Ang Mo Kio Community Club every Wednesday, giving advice to younger players and engaging in some practice. No wonder he remains so passionate about the sport. The father of a single daughter even met his wife through a basketball tournament back in 1952. ![]() Mr Ho is squatting on the front row, second from left. The Singapore 1956 Olympic basketball team with well-wishers before they depart for Melbourne. The Sharpshooter played competitively until the age of 50, then became a coach until he was 82. It was the only time Singapore had ever sent a basketball team to the Olympics. He was among the 11 basketballers who went to the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. Ho did not just play he excelled in the sport. In his heyday, he could sink three-pointers with ease. No surprise there from the former forward who used to be called shen shou, or Sharpshooter, because of his pinpoint shooting. The ball sails perfectly through the basket. His feet are shoulder-width apart for balance, the wrist tilted at 90-degrees to generate backspin and both eyes are firmly fixed on the target in intense concentration. The form is perfect, honed from nearly eight decades of training. But it is exactly where the man feels most at home. In a sport that favours taller athletes, he is probably not a player one would expect to see on a basketball court. Ho Lien Siew stands at all of 1.68m, dwarfed by the 3.05-metre-high basketball rim as he positions himself at the free throw line.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |