The Coptic Orthodox British Elite Basketball
Association Tournament (Cobeba) 2014 was one to remember, with a team from
Manchester entering the tournament for the first time and becoming this year’s
Cobeba Champions! They took the title by beating the defending champions, the
Newcastle Phoenix’.
This year we saw teams from Saint Mary and Anba
Abram, Brighton (The Brighton Ballers), ‘The Gentlemen from Manchester’ a name
given to the team by His Grace Bishop Angaelos; Saint George and Saint
Athanasius , (The Newcastle Phoenix), Saint Mary and Archangel Michael (Golders
Green Heat) and of course the home team, the Saint George Knights from
Stevenage.
With exhilarating
games on the first day, followed by a vespers service attended by all, it
proved to be a great display of fellowship and sportsmanship, with the referees
and their family members commenting on the cheerful and friendly atmosphere and
respect shown by all the players and fans.
Sunday began with a Eucharistic liturgy
followed by breakfast and the semi-finals between the Saint George Knights and
‘The gentlemen from Manchester’ (we won’t mention the score) but we will say
that the first five points were scored by Saint George, so thank you to the
Knights for taking the bullet!
The final between
the Newcastle Phoenix and Gentlemen from Manchester was nail-bitingly tight and
it looked as if Newcastle were going to reclaim their title once again. Halfway
through the match however, Manchester seemed to gain a new burst of energy, and
regained their focus and determination, going on to win the match with a final
score of 68-48.
It goes without
saying that the quality of basketball this year was incredible. (It may be
worth mentioning that the two teams in the final were made up predominantly of
Canadians who live and breathe the sport!)
Last but by no
means least, a big thank you goes to His Grace Bishop Angaelos for dedication
in supporting all the teams from the side-lines, and for having the courage to
hug the boys after their matches! Thank you to the wonderful Mark Galtta who
made it all happen and to the dedicated Lydia Guirguis who worked tirelessly behind
the scene to ensure everything was running smoothly. Thank you also to everyone
else who helped serve in the kitchen and with cleaning, and to all the fans and
players for taking part and making Cobeba 2014 an incredible display of
fellowship and Christian witness in the UK.
We look forward to seeing you next year!
