VIII. Gay Games Cologne 2010

The joy was really written in his face. Rob Smitherman, basketballplayer of the Sisters of Sushi, short SOS, and his team managed for the first time to defeat Team Shock of the USA. Thursday afternoon was the perfect time for the victory as it secured the entry into the finals in the category Men´s recreational for the Sisters of Sushi. “It´s the first time that we made it to the finals in the Gay Games” Smitherman said after the victory. “We especially showed a strong defense.”
 

The very fact of the height of the players of the SOS team got them a big advantage towards the partly smaller Shock players. Despite this disadvantage, Team Shock showed some strong attacks in the first half.  But in the end it turned out to be a clear victory for Smitherman and his colleagues with 78:37 against the Shock team.

This success has to be highlighted especially due to the fact that the Sisters of Sushi only play together at tournaments, but never train together. “We are good  friends but are living all in different cities all over the USA. It happens often, that players of gay basketball teams come from different cities, “says Smitherman. The creative name isn´t just an imagination. After their last game they always go out to eat Sushi together, that´s a tradition.

The victory of the team SOS is also a little success for Cologne. Since January, Rob Smitherman is in Cologne to support the Team Cologne in organizing the Gay Games VIII Cologne 2010. So he not only transferred his working place but also trained together with the basketball players from the SC Janus. “It was a lot of fun to play with the players of SC Janus. Basketball in Europe is a little bit different than in the USA, but we had a great time together” said Smitherman.

After the semi-finals of the Men`s Recreational League the crème de la crème of basketball entered the field. The US Americans RockDogs challenged the E2B Boys 2 from France in the category Men`s Open and won sovereign with 75:30.

More photos can be found at http://www.qubesport.net/photos