Emotional farewell to Meteors outgoing coach Joel Khalu

BASKETBALL: There was so much emotion at the Crater on Saturday night, as Meteors coach Joel Khalu said goodbye for the last time.

BASKETBALL: There was so much emotion at the Crater on Saturday night, as Meteors coach Joel Khalu said goodbye for the last time.

Not only was Khalu in that state but so was much of the crowd, who packed into McDonald's Mackay Stadium, to say goodbye to 'JK'.

Khalu played in a Queensland Basketball League All Stars game to mark both his farewell and the re-launch of the Crater.

The Crater now has a retractable grandstand that can seat about 800 people.

All Stars basketball game

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Khalu will head up Papua New Guinea's basketball program.

Clint Steindl, who played his junior basketball in Mackay, hit the hardwood on Saturday night.

"It's good to get guys back from teams past, that you haven't seen for a couple of years," he said.

"I think it's more about the catch-up rather than the game, it's good to see everyone and see what they're doing now."

Steindl said Mackay was where basketball all started for him.

"I started here when I was four or five for midgets and I've come a long way since then," he said.

The 26-year-old was named in the Australian Boomers preliminary 26-man squad for the Rio Olympics. This will be cut to 16 for a selection camp in July.

Steindl said he would start to get back into "game shape" soon. However he has not signed anywhere in the National Basketball League off-season.

It has been a huge season for the Townsville Crocodiles player, who was named the National Basketball League's most improved player.

"That's a huge step in terms of where my career is going," Steindl said.

"It means I'm doing the right thing and working hard."

Steindl said most people recognised him as a good shooter.

"It's about taking that step to becoming a world class shooter," he said.

"You need to become a guy when you walk out on the floor, teams look at you and say 'we can't leave him alone'."

Results

QBL All Stars game

 Meteors Black, 113, defeated Meteors Red, 98.

Media Challenge

 Team One, 28 defeated Team Two, 21.

Originally published as Emotional farewell to Meteors outgoing coach Joel Khalu