28/01/2014 … team Goa-India won the coveted Basketball gold medal beating Angola in a thrilling match, in what was otherwise an action-packed day at the Dr. Shyama Prasad Mookerji indoor stadium at Taleigao, which also saw two other medal matches being played out.
The first game of the day was the tie between Mozambique and Cape Verde. The low scoring match went in favour of Mozambique, with the balance tilting in their favour in the final quarter. The final score: 56-37.
Cesar Mujui, Head Coach of Mozambique, contently said, “We knew that the final quarter would be the decider, and went for the Bronze with that mentality. Once we established a clear cut 10 point lead, we knew we were headed in the right direction.”
The following match was the medal-decider between Women’s Gold contenders Angola and Mozambique. The last leg in what started out as a round robin tournament saw both teams needing a victory in order to get their hands on the coveted medal. Playing their signature style of full-court press offensive play, Mozambique attacked their opponents right from the tip-off, and defended just as relentlessly.
By halftime, there seemed to be nearly no doubt as to who would be heading home in first place with the score leaning in Mozambique’s favour by that point at 21-40. The final score, in Mozambique’s favour was set at 73-49.
Ecstatic with his side’s performance, Head Coach of Mozambique, Nazir Sale, said, “This is what we came here with our sights set on. It was hard work, that we needed to accomplish, and I feel that we did just that. Angola are a difficult side to play, but we overcame them with our pace and percentage of steals.”
Following their first encounter, the game between Angola and Goa-India was always going to be hard fought. Of this there was no doubt.
However, a nail biter of such large proportions is always one worth witnessing, irrespective of how many times the sides play each other.
By the end of the game, tempers may have been frayed, and animosity may have been abundant, but there could only be one winner, and that was Goa-India, with the score set at 77-70.
Stoked by the result, Goa-India Head Coach, Scott Flemming said, “Tonight was a great win that showed immense character. I think it all comes down to a unified performance. The team needed to push for the lead. That they did and it just tipped in our favour. Superb result in all.”
