Will ABL inspire Brunei youth?

Melvin Jong

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

WHILE local basketball fans are uncertain on how the Brunei Barracudas will perform in the Asean Basketball League (ABL), they are anxious about how the first professional league in the region will help promote the sport among Brunei's youth.

"I am really looking forward to the start of the ABL season. I think this is a really good thing for Brunei," said James, a Form Five student currently studying in a private school.

Having played the game for a little over six years, he said that Brunei's participation in the ABL will help local players, particularly the younger generation, become more interested and serious when playing basketball.

"We can compare the standard in Brunei with the neighbouring countries. We can see what are the differences between them and us and this can help motivate us and improve our skills," he said.

photo by BT/Yee Chun Leong

"It will also help to draw new players into the game. Also players taking part in the league will be able to help train the rest of us when we play together," added James who previously had been a big fan of the Singapore Slingers.

When asked how does he think the team will perform, James replied that he wasn't really optimistic of the results the team could achieve.

"It is the first time we are taking part in such a tournament so I don't think we are ready to compete at the top level yet but I am sure we will improve as the season continues," he said.

The same was said by a Universiti Brunei Darussalam (UBD) student who opted for anonymity.

"I don't know how well the team will perform but I am hoping for the best," said the 21-year-old who started playing basketball some eight years ago.

"Brunei has been hosting a lot of regional tournaments like the 'Pepsi Cup' but we do not really know how good is our standard compared to our neighbouring countries," he added. Read More...

Courtesy of The Brunei Times