Dispatch from Taiwan #1: Men's Basketball Team Plays Kainan Invitational
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Hello Friends of MIT Men's Basketball,
Our Men's Basketball Team has arrived once again in Taiwan, ready to play in the fifth annual Kainan University Invitational. You may recall that our guys won the very first tournament back in 2006, defeating an excellent Yo Ming team from the SBL (Super Basketball League) in this basketball-crazy country. This year the competition includes university teams from Japan, Singapore, South Korea, and four from Taiwan. Many of the teams are staying in the same hotel here, where anticipation has been steadily building.
This morning all of us gathered for a tour of host Kainan University. We were also treated to local history and even a puppet show. The school's roots go back to 1917 during the Japanese colonial period, when a technical high school was founded by the colonial administrators. When the Japanese left, they gave the school to its alumni. The alumni fulfilled a lifelong dream with the creation of the university in 2000. Today Kainan serves 8,000 students, primarily in technical and business areas.
The Taiwanese are simply wonderful hosts, and the hospitality is always superb. They are in awe of one of our assistant coaches, former NBA player Paul Grant, a big and mobile seven-footer. As those of you who have been to an MIT game recently know, Paul is quite a presence on our bench as well. Three years ago, he offered to help Coach Larry Anderson and has since become a great asset as assistant coach focusing on player development. His work in real estate development affords him the flexibility to join the staff and work closely with the team. Most recently, he and his older brother developed Worcester Square, bringing back its century-old luster in Boston's resurgent South End. Like all our coaches, he brings to our young players lots of practical knowledge and a true love of the game. To this, he adds his own NBA experience. Nice combination!
Our Kainan hosts generously covered the lion's share of the expenses, which allowed a few other MIT representatives to come along at an incremental cost. Coach Anderson's wife, Dawn, is becoming quite the photographer and brought along all her new equipment. She loves to capture special moments on and off the court. Many more photos will be posted on a gallery when we return.
This Wednesday evening, we will experience more special local hospitality from the MIT Club of Taiwan, who have invited the team to a dinner in downtown Taipei. There are over 500 alums living in Taiwan, so this is quite a thriving club. Soon they will also be welcoming MIT President Susan Hockfield on her upcoming Asia trip.
We wish all of you were here to enjoy this culture and the basketball. Look for another update in a few days and check out MIT Hoops, the MIT basketball blog that some of the players will be contributing to during their trip. Already you can read posts about playing the initial games and encountering cultural differences. In the meantime, please keep rooting for our young, talented players during this very special chapter of their lives.
Cheers, Bob and Indran
Bob Ferrara’67 is the senior director for strategic planning, communications, and alumni relations for the MIT Division of Student Life and a basketball reunion committee member. Indran Ratnathicam ’98 is the assistant men's basketball coach and a basketball reunion committee member.
