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The quick-changing nature of live sports and the skills a commentator needs to handle it are two peas of the same pod. No matter how much a commentator has prepared, it may not be enough to follow the many quick changes that take place during a game or match. Recently, 13 reporters from this year’s Hong Kong Jockey Club Junior Sports Reporters Programme personally experienced this challenge as live webcast commentators for two Hong Kong A1 Division Championship basketball games. It also gave them the chance to witness this season’s league-leaders, the unbeaten South China and Eastern Long Lions, take on Biu Chun Fukien and the Eagles, respectively.

The students took turns manning different positions; in addition to the live commentating, they kept the stats, did sideline reports, and conducted live interviews. Two well-known basketball commentators, Patrick Ng and Wilson Choi, were on hand to mentor the students, who benefited a lot from their expertise. One of the students, Priscilla Cheung, said: “I overlooked some of the game details, so it was good Wilson was there to remind me and beef up my basketball knowledge.” Another student, Joyce Kam had a different experience when dealing with the sudden changes in the games: “The information and data I prepared before the games wasn’t the most useful during the live webcast, but I found that talking with my partner and throwing in some stats at the right time is what the audience likes to hear.” 

Being able to react well in live situations is something that only comes with a lot of experience. The two veteran mentors have been working with the programme for three years now, and Patrick had nothing but praise for how hard this year’s students have tried: “Except for some minor mistakes, this year’s class is active and willing to give it a go. Every commentator was once a new learner, and even veteran commentators will make mistakes. I believe that the students will learn from this experience and will do better next time.”

To catch the excitement of the game and the student’s live commentating (in Cantonese only), visit: https://youtu.be/tQ5Brn-hsEs