From February 13 to 15 XLIS had the pleasure of welcoming our fellow Green Division member schools to Xi’an for the 2025 ACAMIS Green Division Basketball Tournament. The ACAMIS Green Division consists of six members within the Association of China and Mongolia International Schools that meet three times each year to compete in the core sports of volleyball, basketball, and soccer. The ACAMIS Green Division member schools are:
- Changchun American International School (CAIS Tigers)
- Discovery College Hong Kong (DCHK Cobras)
- Hangzhou International School (HIS Dragons)
- Shanghai Community International School (SCIS Dragons)
- Xi’an Liangjiatan International School (XLIS Blue Dragons)
- Yew Chung International School Shanghai Puxi (YCIS Puxi)
Basketball teams from the six ACAMIS Green Division schools arrived in Xi’an for what would be the first ever ACAMIS core sport tournament hosted in China’s northwest region. The tournament kicked off with an opening ceremony in the Blue Dragon Theatre where the XLIS Secondary School Band put on an exquisite performance led by Mr. Nathan. From there, the competition began and the XLIS community was treated to three days of non-stop basketball action.
In the boys’ division, the defending champion DCHK Cobras emerged as an early tournament favourite. The team started the tournament with two emphatic wins, one of which involved two in-game dunks by different players. Over in the girls’ division, the games were very tightly contested, and it looked like it could be anybody’s tournament. But ACAMIS is more than just basketball. That evening the students headed over to the Ritz-Carlton for a special night of dinner and dancing.
A central component of all ACAMIS core sport tournament is the social aspect. Students from the schools are encouraged to make lasting bonds of friendship and this is done through a tournament banquet. XLIS students Vicky Chen and Chloe Zhao took inspiration from their trip to Discovery College Hong Kong for volleyball back in November to plan activities for the night out at the Ritz-Carlton. Dressed for a formal occasion, students from all schools enjoyed a buffet dinner, party games, and free time to socialize and mingle with their peers from across the ACAMIS region.
Back at the XLIS campus the next day, the tournament was heating up on the court. XLIS boys and girls both got their first wins of the tournament. The boys mustered an emphatic win in the big gym with the school band playing in the bleachers, while the girls came from behind to force overtime and win in what most spectators dubbed “the game of the tournament”. With the round robin finished, the knockout and placement games were set to complete the tournament on Saturday.
The XLIS boys opened the day in the fifth place game, earning their second decisive win of the tournament. The XLIS girls were in a knockout game but unfortunately suffered a defeat and finished the tournament in fifth place. Nevertheless, both teams were able to stay for the remainder of the competition and watch their new friends compete for first place. The boys’ and girls’ finals both featured the same schools – DCHK Cobras vs YCIS Puxi. The DCHK boys went on to win comfortably in their final, marking their fourth consecutive ACAMIS championship. In the girls final, the DCHK girls put on an incredible performance to win ACAMIS gold for the first time in the program’s history.
When the tournament ended, awards were given out to the top performing teams and the players who best demonstrated the values of sportsmanship, dedication, and a love of sport. The attitude of fair play and the congeniality displayed by the XLIS girls’ team was recognized by their peers, as they were voted winners of the Spirit of ACAMIS award. From there, busses headed to the airport or hotels and the Green Division schools bid farewell to one another. That is, until the ACAMIS Football Tournament is hosted by Hangzhou International School from March 17 to 19 and the Blue Dragons once again get to represent XLIS as a member of the Green Division.
In addition, XLIS will host the 2025 ACAMIS Spring Leadership Conference from April 25th to 26th, the first time of which is held in the northwest region of China. Currently, all preparations are in full swing. We are looking forward to gathering international education experts from different countries and regions to discuss strategies and experiences for the development of international education.
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Author:
Zach Dwyer (Secondary Physical and Health Education Teacher, Athletics Coordinator)
