Final Four Fever: Strategic Sports’ Basketball Tournament Delivers an Upset for the Ages
For years, the Strategic Sports basketball tournament has been an internal proving ground. Bragging rights. Early mornings. Practice, practice, practice. Sore legs on Monday. A chance for our internal teams to compete the same way they do every day on the helmet factory floor and in the R&D lab: all-in, for the win.
This year, the stakes went up.
For the first time, Strategic Sports opened the tournament to our supplier and partner teams—and they showed up ready to play. Decathlon. Revelyst. And many others. Longtime collaborators who know Strategic well, and who clearly came prepared to win.
From the opening tip-off, it was clear this wasn’t a casual pick-up game. Friends and colleagues became fierce rivals in the crucible of competition. Every game was played with intensity, discipline, and more than a few highlight-worthy moments. Fast breaks were contested. Defense was tight. No possession came easy.
After multiple hard-fought rounds, the tournament delivered its biggest surprise yet: none of the Strategic Sports teams made it to the semifinals.
An upset? Absolutely.
A reality check? Maybe.
Strategic Sports Managing Director and Strategic “team owner” Norman Cheng didn’t hide his disappointment—but he also didn’t dodge the truth.
“We’re competitive in everything we do,” Cheng said. “We play to win, whether it’s basketball or designing the most innovative helmets in the world. We don’t like to lose, and it’s rare that we do.”
That competitive mindset is core to Strategic’s culture. The same drive that fuels product innovation, manufacturing excellence, and global partnerships shows up on the court. And while the scoreboard didn’t fall Strategic’s way this year, the performance of partner and supplier teams earned real respect.
“They played well,” Cheng added. “They clearly work hard and play well as a team, and those who advanced clearly earned their place in the finals.”
Qun Liang, a supplier of plastic bags, and equipment manufacturer Guang Hong won the semi-finals and will advance to the championship matchup on December 22, where the overall title will be decided. Strategic Sports will be watching closely, cheering loudly, and already thinking about next year.
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Because if there’s one thing this tournament reinforced, it’s that Strategic doesn’t shy away from competition—on the court or off it.
“We’ll train harder,” Cheng said with a smile. “And we’ll be back next year, ready to play hard and win.”
Game on.
