For the love of the sport

For the love of the sport

"ONE the main factors in basketball is to love and respect the game," says Warriors point-guard, Aaron Ah Yuk.

Like anything you do in life, if you find that you have the love for something, this love can serve to be a great factor in your success in whatever field you are in.

"One should enjoy playing just for playing and not just for winning," he said.

This is how Ah Yuk sees basketball.

The 26-year-old Fiji Village web designer has been a profound player in the Raiwaqa Basketball Players Association for the past years. His fast thinking and quick intercepts has made him a great asset to his team and although his priorities have shifted, he still has a great respect and love towards the sport.

In 2004, he was a member of the National Under-20 squad and toured with the team to Australia to compete in the Under-20 Oceania Games. Although he didnt move on to the national squad, Ah Yuk has remained a fervent player and his commitment to the sport is out-standing.

Reasons for his inability to make it to the national squad were due to a shift in priorities.

This is one of the biggest reasons many of our great basketball players leave the court and it is due to seeking further education and employment. One cannot make a living being a basketball player alone in Fiji, unlike the great Basketball stars in the United States NBA.

However, this has not led Ah Yuk to leaving the sport altogether, with other commitments and a gradual shifting of priorities, Ah Yuk has continued to play basketball.

He attended Yat Sen High School where he became involved in the sport that he loves and started his affair with the sport which has lasted for almost 13 years and continuing.

He started off by playing for the Davui Magics and then moved on the play for the Bryceland Knicks. Now he is playing for the Warriors team and has made life-long friends through the sport.

Although he looks timid and small, there is a great basketball spirit lurking beneath that exterior that would blow you away. He spends most of his time playing at the Raiwaqa Eds Court with friends and family.

His experience and superior ball-handling techniques are explosive and eventhough he is up against guys twice his size, he is not one bit intimidated.

He skirts the court with fast movements and practically breaks through the oppositions defenses with quick and deceptive dodges and fakes. "In this sport everyone thinks that height is a winning factor but I say it is a 50/50 chance. Anyone can make it as long as you have the right skills and you love the game. This was where a lot of people went wrong with Valerie Nainima, they said that she would not make it far because of her height, but she proved everyone wrong and is now one of the greatest basketball players in Fiji," said ah Yuk.

One of his most memorable games was when they defeated the Coffs Harbor Suns, who were the New South Wales State champions in 2005 where the Warriors went on to on their tour. The team was captained by Saki Rokodi.

"We stayed in Coffs Harbor for ten days and it was a great experience for us. The plus was when we beat the Coffs Harbor Suns, it was unbelievable. We played three games," he said.

They had started fundraising for their tour from the beginning of that year and took off in December.

He has two younger sisters who are also basketball players like him. Bulou Jojina and Laisa Ah Yuk followed in their older brothers footsteps with as much enthusiasm and commitment displayed by their brother.

Bulou Jojina made it to the national under-20 squad in 2006 and competed in the 2006 Oceania under-20 champs in New Zealand. She plays for the womens Warriors team.

Their younger sister, Laisa also played with her sister in the Warriors team but her commitments were more in her studies. She is a Law student at the University of the South Pacific.

Being that basketball is a minor sport, Ah Yuk believes that the initiatives made by individuals can go a long way if done right. He says this with Development officer, Laisiasa Puamau and national under-20 coach, Saula Koroi in mind.

"These two have spear-headed the development of basketball in the country," said Ah Yuk.

Ah Yuk, who is plays point-guard for the Warriors team is grateful towards the great job done by the Puamau and Koroi in the last months that has made basketball climb to higher standards of playing and also creating a more vibrant environment conducive of the sport.

He hopes to continue playing and now diversify into assisting the younger players especially those in his team.

"There is a lot of talented players in our areas and I hope to help these younger players being great athletes. I would also be helping Lai and Saula in their work and that is a great reward in itself," he said.




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