Always the bridesmaids, never the brides

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, May 15, 2010

THIRD time was not the charm for the Ilonggo Stingers but would it be
fourth time lucky for the Belait side?

The Stingers have all the losses etched into their hearts but are still in high spirits looking to end their title drought at the 2010 Belait Sultan's Cup.

Having appeared in three consecutive finals, they had ended up second best during all those occasions. But they are hoping for better luck at the
Belait Sultan's Cup which tips off today at the Kampung Baru basketball
court in Seria.

It was in the same tournament last July where they let a 21-point lead slip away before losing 79-78 in the final to Hyundai Setia Motors, the 2009 national team, on a last second shot by Jong Guo Zhang.

Their fortunes didn't change when they lost to the Ilonggo Slashers 72-63 in the final of the Brunei Shell Recreational Club (BSRC) five-on-five Open basketball tournament in February.

It finally looked like their luck had changed in the final of the BBA Open
Challenge Trophy when they had a 25-point advantage only for Plaza
Sutera Biru to storm back to claim the championship with an 83-77 victory.

"I think in the last three tournaments we lost the title because the referees made calls that didn't go our way," said Rhaul Palma Jr, the head coach of the Stingers, in an interview with The Brunei Times, yesterday.

"It was frustrating because we played hard right from the start but in the end the games got decided by the referees. It was disappointing, but it was part of the game," he added.

"We respected them (the decisions) but they were the important ones during the games. But it was beyond our control. We hope that they can step up for all the games in the Sultan's Cup," he continued. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times