FROM GAMING TO BASKETBALL ADDICT

Samuel Tsung (second from left) with his Sri Lanka team-mates

- By ROCHELLE PALIPANE GUNARATNE

At just 15, Samuel Tsung has already earned his place among Sri Lanka’s most promising young basketball talents. His journey, however, was not paved with easy victories or instant recognition — it was built on countless hours of training, resilience through injury, and an unshakable faith in God.

“I got the opportunity to play in the U15 Inter International Schools tournament in 2022 and once again we were crowned Champions. The year 2024 was a spectacular year for Gateway College and we were Champions in the U15 and U17 Inter International Tournament”, he said in an interview.

Excerpts of the interview:

I was an avid gamer, staying up late nights to play games online and this was my weekend life and any free time I had, was put into gaming. I was an addict to gaming. Then I was given the opportunity to play for the Gateway U13 basketball team at the inter-International School’s tournament in 2022. After this tournament I fell in love with the game of basketball and that is where it all began — thereafter I just trained and trained. At first, I wasn’t even sure how far I could go. Through the support of my parents, my coaches, and a lot of hard work, I grew from being a complete beginner to where I am today. I really thank God for that.

When I first started, I didn’t get to play much at all. I was a bench warmer and came very close to quitting. But something inside me told me to prove my worth. So, I kept going. Then came a major setback—an ankle injury that forced me to take months off. At first, I thought I'd never play again. But after resting and recovering, I started training every morning and evening at a court near my house. For nearly five months, I worked on rebuilding my strength, my shot, and my athleticism. That was one of the toughest periods of my life, but also the most defining.