Basketball sides tackle Taiwan tournament

The 2023 Buddha's Light Cup International University Basketball Invitational is organised by a lay organisation, but the players are staying at a rural Buddhist monastery and travelling 30km to the competition in Kaohsiung City.

Twenty-four players from the men’s and women's sides have made the trip, along with coaches and management, with the costs covered by the organisers.

Manager Hoani Smith said the tournament was akin to an unofficial university world cup, and it included  teams from the USA and China.

The Lincoln side was made up of current and former students but included two promising St Andrew's College pupils.

Hoani said the international experience would be valuable for all the players, as would the cultural experience they stood to gain from staying with the monks.

Lincoln will play in both of the opening games today, which take place before the official opening ceremony tonight. The opening matches are part of round robin play to win through to the knockout games in the seven-day tournament.

Applications for Lincoln University Basketball Scholarships close on 15 August.