Page 166 - AGC Journal 2018

AGC JOURNAL 2018

A Successful

Overdose of

Basketball

By Corporal Manasseh Jere
One minute I am training in the sun with the Corps
basketball team, the next minute I am helping my
regimental basketball team lift the Sapper Games
Basketball winner’s trophy.

Summer of Sport share my experience with the new team. I also gained
some from them. The training camps are primarily
It is a story of an exciting summer full of sports amidst designed or conducted in a way to bring in new players
my transitioning from a Sapper. I represented the and they also act as a team building exercise to promote

Corps for the first time joining my new team mates the camaraderie in the corps team.
at a training camp in Cyprus and had a chance to say
farewell to my old team mates in the Royal Engineers Busy Schedule
during The Sapper Games. It is safe to say that it was a
successful three months of basketball as it ended with a The schedule was busy and there was a lot of basketball
winner’s medal, a moment to be savoured, but all that played over the course of two weeks, training both
comes with a bit of hard work and planning to make it in the morning and afternoon for the most part. It all
all stick. culminated in a game against Cyprus Joint Policing Unit
which was won convincingly. It was not all hard work
Something Extra as we had time for some cultural activities/visits and a it the mini Olympics because of the way the games are
few social functions in the evenings to enhance team structured, managed, played and scored. Every year the
It was time to give something extra to my new Corps; to bonding. I was successful in making it into the team Royal Engineer regiments get together to take part in
bring something across from my old family to the new. as I have now received another invite to be part of the a three day sporting extravaganza, a way to promote
This came in the form of the skills I hold on a basketball team to participate in the Inter Corps Championships their esprit de corps. This involves all the Royal Engineer
court and a worth of experience and knowledge about in November 2018. This year’s training camp done, next regiments in providing athletes in different sporting

the game of basketball. stop, Miami, United States. But before that, the Sapper disciplines to participate in the competition with the
Games. eventual winners crowned champions on the last day of the
Each year the Corps basketball team conducts a training competitions. This year, it was the first time the games were

camp in varying locations. This year it was held in Sapper Games held at 39 Engineer Regiment, Kinloss, Scotland. This meant
Cyprus and I got an invite to attend the training camp. that I was involved being part of the detachment.
I had not been playing basketball for a while because The training camp was a timely opportunity for me to
of work commitments, so I took it as an opportunity to train and get some coaching tips in preparation for the Showcase Scotland
polish up on the rustiness and showcase my skills and Sapper games which took part in June. They nickname
This was a chance for the Army to showcase Scotland
and what it can offer as an assignment location. Hence

it was necessary that the games and concurrent cultural
activities were delivered to the highest standard and that
it was voted the best Sapper Games since its inception.
The winning regiment is decided by accumulating points
gained from each individual sport discipline. As much as
it is a Sapper competition, all the soldiers involved in that Basketball Overdose
regiment can represent their regiment in a sport.
It’s been a full year with planning the Sapper Games,

Reaping the Benefits attending the training camp, getting my regimental
team up to speed to take part in the Sapper Games and
I was involved from the beginning to the end, planning eventually winning the basketball competition. Winning
and delivering the sport. As I was a coach and player, I also the competition helped 39 Engineer Regiment attain second
had to take charge on the basketball court as well. Thanks position overall from the eventual winners, 3 Royal School
to the training camp in Cyprus the previous month I could of Military Engineering. A basketball overdose you would
transfer those skills and experiences I learnt and translated say, but a successful overdose as we ended up winning and
it, together with my team mates, into success. Playing I had a winner’s medal and added value to my detachment
with and against my former Sapper team mates from the and the regiment. To top it up, I got an official’s medal as

different regiments, I took it as an opportunity to also bid

Training well, but that is another story for a different Journal.
Camp Cyprus farewell to them.

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