What Does It Take to End a Six-Year Wait?
A championship can be won in four days—but a comeback like this takes years.
From 10 to 14 June 2025, the MCKK Cagers took part in the Kejohanan Bola Keranjang SBP Peringkat Kebangsaan, hosted by SM Agama Persekutuan Kajang, with matches held at Sports Arena@UNITEN Kajang and MABA Stadium. The name of the trophy? Piala Hamdan Tahir. The last time we held it was in 2019.
Six years. That’s a long time for a school like ours. Too long.
Our campaign began with a confident 63–23 win over SMS Johor. Momentum was high, energy promising. But in the second game, against SESMA, things nearly unraveled. We only just edged through with a 29–27 win.
“We definitely underestimated SESMA’s team after a big win the day before,” said our captain.
“I think we lost our rhythm. We rushed too many shots, and our teamwork just wasn’t there.”
It was a turning point; not in points, but in mindset. The team knew they had to respond not just with skill, but with unity.
And they did. We defeated ASiS 39–32 in the following match, then SAS 48–37 in the quarter-final, the team that had stopped us in our tracks the year before. Redemption earned, not handed.
The semi-final brought a familiar opponent: STAR. But this time, the response was decisive—71–45. Controlled, composed, clinical.
And then came the final.
SESTER. Defending champions. The best of the rest.
But MCKK didn’t just show up to play. We showed up to finish what we started. From the first quarter to the last, every pass, every rebound, every call echoed months of preparation and years of hope. Final score: MCKK 51 – 32 SESTER.
The Piala Hamdan Tahir came home—to Kuala Kangsar—after six long years.
The MCKK Cagers are now 20-time national champions.
Our team captain was named Most Valuable Player, and another Cager received the Top Rebounder award. But the real triumph? A team that fought as one, grew as one, and lifted the trophy as one.
“We’ve been preparing for this since last year,” the captain shared.
“This was never about individual wins. We earned this together. And we deserved it.”
In the final, 80 Koleq boys stood as our official cheering squad, filling the court with the kind of support money can’t buy. They didn’t just cheer. They roared. Parents, teachers, and Old Boys were there too—clapping, shouting, beaming. Their presence meant everything.
This win wasn’t just the end of a drought.
It was the return of a legacy.
The spirit never left—it just needed time to rise again.
Six years.
One heart.
Twenty titles.
The MCKK Cagers are home, once more, as champions.
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