KENINGAU: Aksijaya Artemis emerged as the champions of the Keningau 2026 Newbee 1.0 Cup Basketball Tournament (Indoor) after defeating KRK in the final at the Community Hall, Keningau Sports Complex, Sunday night.
The tournament, which brought together 12 teams from around the interior, was officially closed by the Keningau Member of Parliament and Tambunan Assemblyman, Datuk Seri Dr. Jeffrey Kitingan.
KRK finished as the runners-up, followed by the home team Newbee in third place and MQ Sliders in fourth.
Aksijaya Artemis’ victory was driven by disciplined play with an advantage in fast transitions and an organised defence that successfully restricted the opponent’s movement throughout the final match.
In his speech, Dr. Jeffrey described the tournament as an important platform to uncover new talent among the youth, in addition to fostering a healthy lifestyle and sportsmanship.
“Competitions like this open up space for young people to be active, competitive and build discipline through sports,” he said.
The closing ceremony began as early as 7.30pm with the arrival of invited guests, followed by a lion dance performance by SMJK Ken Hwa before the final match began at around 9pm.
The inaugural edition of this tournament was seen as successful in attracting encouraging participation, thus reflecting the positive development of basketball in the Keningau interior area.
From the interior courts, new talent continued to be born — quietly, but surely. The organisers also expressed their appreciation to the referees, staff and supporters who ensured the tournament ran smoothly.
The event opened a new chapter in the development of basketball in this district when it successfully brought together the sports community and the participation of 12 teams from around Keningau.
Earlier, the tournament was officiated by the President of the Sabah Basketball Association and Deputy President of the Malaysian Basketball Association, Phan Chee Yong.
In his speech, he praised the efforts of the Keningau Newbee Basketball Association which, although newly established, has shown impressive commitment and organisational capabilities in organising district-scale tournaments.
According to him, building a sports organisation usually takes time to strengthen the structure and management experience, but the enthusiasm and cooperation shown by the organisers prove that the basketball community in Keningau has great potential to continue to grow.
The participation of 12 teams reflected the growing interest in basketball among the youth and the local community.
Phan said that basketball is not just a competitive sport, but also an important platform that can foster unity, team spirit and friendship, as well as providing space for the younger generation to be involved in healthy and positive activities.
He also hoped that the tournament could be made an annual event and subsequently develop into a competition that could represent Keningau and Sabah more widely in the future.
For the local sports community, this tournament is not just a sports event, but a symbol that efforts to foster sports interest among the younger generation continue to live and grow in rural areas like Keningau.
