The British Army Basketball League staged a thrilling division one finale as the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers edged out the Royal Signals to get their hands on the coveted trophy.
Having lost to the Royal Logistic Corps in last year’s showpiece, the REME took to the court in Aldershot in determined mood and made an electrifying start to open a 19-8 lead at the end of the first quarter.
However, their rivals returned to the fray galvanised and went on to plunder 23 points in the second quarter, compared to the REME’s 14, to trail by just two at half-time.
The onslaught continued after the interval as they led 55-50 going into the final quarter.
But the champions-elect came roaring back, and a 24-point haul helped them overcome the deficit and eventually seal a hard-fought 76-71 victory.
“This means a lot,” LCpl Anish Tamang (pictured far right), who lifted the silverware on his birthday, told SoldierSport.
“In the past we have fallen short, and it is my first time playing in the final fours; I’m glad I could come in and make a difference for the team.
“We lost in the final last year and people said we were good players, but not winners, so this is a great feeling.
“We were strong in the first quarter, but I thought they were in control in the second half.
“Our energy was low, the calls were not going our way, and the shots weren’t falling – because of that we got a bit frustrated.
“We changed a few things and stuck to the game plan, which got the job done.
“Credit to the Royal Signals. They were shooting and rebounding well, and if it was not for a bad start they could have won the game.
“In the past I’ve been part of the regular season but have missed the big games and finals, so it has been great to play in these tough fixtures and know I can compete at this level.”
Tamang’s focus is now fixed on this season’s Inter-Services campaign and he will be among those heading to an Army training camp later this month.
“I’ve been playing for the under-23s for the past few years and my goal is to go to the Inter-Services and win and then get selected for the UK Armed Forces,” he added.
“This is my last year of being eligible for the team. We have won that title once before and we have the grit to do it again.”
Elsewhere, the Royal Logistic Corps claimed the division three silverware, with the Royal Armoured Corps taking the division two honours.
The fixtures marked the completion of the second season of the competition’s new format, which sees pool games played monthly ahead of two days of semi-finals and finals.
The old format saw the entire tournament crammed into a one-week window with teams coming together for training weeks in the build up.
The move has seen the standard of play improve as individuals are less fatigued but has led to selection issues due to the availability of personnel from one month to the next.
“I thought all four finals were very good,” said SSgt Alex Ress, who was part of the defeated Royal Signals squad but is also a British Army Basketball League committee member and the officials manager.
“We managed to bring it back but lost by five points in the end.
“The REME were better on the day. We have not been in a final since 2021 and we will come back and go again.
“As a league, we brought in a third division this year and that has been a real success – players can now step up when needed.
“But there has been a lot of forfeited fixtures due to work commitments so that is something we have to look at. There could be a shake-up ahead of the next season.”
Attention now turns to the inter-unit competition, which starts this month, with the Inter-Services following in April.
DEFENDING champions the Royal Army Medical Service added another women’s Inter-Corps Basketball Championships title to their haul with a comprehensive victory in the 2025 showpiece.
In a repeat of last year’s final, the medics squared off against the Royal Logistic Corps and after a tight opening quarter went on to claim a 55-35 win.
The key swing came in the second quarter, when the loggies reduced the arrears with five unanswered points only for their rivals to hit back with a run of six points.
They managed a healthy lead for the remainder of the contest, with a 17-point haul in the final quarter underlying their dominance.
“It is never a walkover when we play the RLC, and it was another tough contest,” skipper Cpl Jessica Moon told SoldierSport afterwards.
“We started a bit slower than we wanted but crept away in the third and fourth quarters. We were strong in defence and offensively we were driving hard at the basket.
“We lost to them in the pool stages when we were missing some players but won our remaining fixtures.
“We came here as the defending champions, but didn’t take winning the trophy for granted.”
Pte Shannon Purves (pictured) was among the standout performers in offence, while Capt Jess Parkes has been a key figure throughout the campaign.
Moon said their form, together with consistency in selection, has helped fuel this season’s success.
She added: “We have pretty much had the same team in every game and when we are fully manned there is no doubting our ability. The aim is to come back and make it three in a row next year.”
