Kala pipped at FNQ slam dunk contest

PACIFIC MMI Papuan Blacks guard Sibona Kala or Sibz almost won the coveted slam dunk contest at the Far North Queensland Super League All Stars last Friday at the Bendigo Bank Centre in Cairns, Australia.
Kala, who  has been competing for the last four years, went one level higher but not enough to win the title, finishing second.
Each of the Super league teams  entered participants for the contest, including  four-time champion George Deba. However, he did not do well in his first set of dunks.
Kala needed a minimum of 49 points out of 50 to reach a finals showdown against Deba.
With a sizeable PNG crowd waiting for Kala’s next move, he asked for Papuan Black centre Lei Banduru’s assistance.
Banduru obliged and positioned himself in the free throw area, with knees and hands on the floor and  his back behind the basketball ring.
Kala took off with one foot on Banduru’s back then brought the ball with his left leg while in the air and slammed it with his left hand.
The crowd jeered as the judges gave Kala a score of 4×10 and 1×9 for a total 49 points to qualify for the final showdown against Deba.
In the final dunk, Deba  used his trademark, bounce the ball, picked it up and  dunked it. Kala tried a harder dunk to win.
He got his father, Sere Kala, to sit on a chair as he attempted his next move.
Kala took off and airborne over his father’s head jammed the ball but ball bounced and hit the rim and missed, resulting in him settling for the second spot.
He scored 28 points and 35 points in two games to lead his teammates to a loss and a win last weekend.
He added: “I have learned a lot from coach and from this team and I am still learning, this is a good team, everyone is contributing.”