News
School Outreach Program by participating teams
Young basketball enthusiasts
in local schools had the opportunity of learning from elite players participating
in the Merlion Cup.
Basketball Association of Singapore and Merlion Cup continue its youth basketball clinic programme by sending players from different clubs to the 12 registered school to share their knowledge and experience during their break from training.
Contact Basketball Association of Singapore if you wish to join the 2018 clinic.
Limited to first 12 applicants.
Basketball Festival at Community Play Day
Adelaide 36ers and the Singapore Slingers working out some basics with kids from the Basketball Academy during the Sports Hub Community Play Day 2017.
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu was the event's guest of honour.
An action-packed weekend at the National Stadium as the Sports Hub Community Play Day returns for its 6th edition on 16 September 2017, 9am to 7pm. Enjoy a full day of play under the canopy of the world’s largest free-spanning dome with the following activities:
Minister for Culture, Community and Youth Grace Fu was the event's guest of honour.
An action-packed weekend at the National Stadium as the Sports Hub Community Play Day returns for its 6th edition on 16 September 2017, 9am to 7pm. Enjoy a full day of play under the canopy of the world’s largest free-spanning dome with the following activities:
- Warriors Obstacle Course – Test your physical limits to overcome the Great Eastern Warriors Challenge by Viper#! Pit yourself against obstacles such as the inverted wall climb, cargo net climb, and multi-rig rings! Complete the challenge in pairs and get a limited edition finisher tee* each
Families with children above 5 years old and 1.2m in height can join the Family Warriors Challenge made up of super fun inflatable obstacles and experience giant inflatables like no other such as the “8-meter-Free-Fall” - Warriors Fitness Party – Join us for non-stop adrenaline-pumping mass workouts, ranging from Cardioblast and Zumba, to Pound Fit and Step Board
- Fun Stepper – Step up and conquer over 2,000 steps in the National Stadium
- Sports Tryouts – Be the next sporting hero! Learn to play tennis, bubble soccer, and surf set like a pro
- Basketball Clinics with Singapore Slingers – Pick up basketball skills from the Singapore Slingers follow by meet & greet sessions!
- 3 points shoot out from 5.30 - 7.00pm
Adelaide 36ers Win Merlion Cup 2017 in Grandstand 81- 101 Win Over Shanghai Sharks
24 September 2017 – The Adelaide 36ers were crowned Merlion Cup 2017 Champions after a hard fought 81-101 win against defending champions the Shanghai Sharks. Despite the 20-point victory, the Shanghai Sharks kept the game close till the last quarter before the 36ers pulled away with their full court pressing game.
The Australian’s preseason preparations showed on the court as their high tempo game caused Sharks problems with a total of 17 points from turnovers.
With all of their starters hitting double figures, the Adelaide 36ers showed their quality against a hardworking Shanghai Sharks team, dominating the boards with 40 rebounds and an impressive 60% conversion in the paint
Adelaide 36ers Captain Brendon Teys reflected on a fruitful yet tough Merlion Cup saying “We had a scouting report and knew beforehand which shooters to look out for and get a hand on every shot, and down at the offensive end we tried our best to get to the rim or draw the foul. It has been great to come over here and play against different teams from different backgrounds, we were definitely pushed hard and had to work for the win in the semis and final itself. It has been a good experience and we feel ready going into the National Basketball League in two weeks.”
LEAVING A LEGACY THROUGH COACHING AND REFEREEING
LEAVING A LEGACY THROUGH COACHING AND REFEREEING
Beyond the court, six teams spent their off days taking part in community activities such as coaching clinics at local and international schools, and with 400 children from the ActiveSG Basketball Academy during Sports Hub Community Play Day.
The 36ers also conducted a coaching clinic for over 30 local coaches where they shared their international experience and insight into professional basketball.
In a bid to enhance the level of coaching and refereeing in Singapore, organisers of the Merlion Cup 2017, Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS) invited former Serbian International Vlade Djurovic, FIBA coaches from Europe, and FIBA referee Atsuhiro Ueda from Japan for an international coaching and refereeing clinic.
On the depth of activities brought by the Merlion Cup 2017, President of the Basketball Association of Singapore, Mr David Ong said “We want to make the Merlion Cup more than just a basketball tournament. If we look at the heritage of the tournament, its purpose was not just for teams around the region to compete in a high quality tournament, but also to develop the local basketball scene and garner more interest and increase the rate of participation of basketball here in Singapore. With this in mind, we set out with a very clear objective this year in terms of the clinics and community activities which have taken place, and we hope that the tournament will have a bigger impact year on year.”
The Merlion Cup this year brought seven high caliber teams from Australia, South Korea, Indonesia, China, Taiwan and the Philippines participating for the first time in the tournaments history.
Singapore Slingers announces strong line-up for Merlion Cup 2017
The Singapore Slingers today announced a strong line-up ahead of the 11th edition of the Merlion Cup. The tournament which takes place from 20 to 24 of September at the OCBC Arena, will see the Slingers up against six of the best teams from the region. The Slingers will be under the guidance of seasoned coach, Neo Beng Siang, and assistant coach, Michael Johnson, and will be led by team captain Desmond Oh for this year’s Merlion Cup.
Slingers Coach, Neo Beng Siang said, “The Slingers have had an exciting past few seasons making it to the ABL Finals two straight years, the team is pumped to battle at the Merlion Cup in front of our home fans. We’ll see fantastic regional stars as well as former NBA players and we are looking forward to taking on the best in the region,” he added “International tournaments such as the Merlion Cup bring the best talents together and it’s our chance to show fans that we can compete at the highest level. The Merlion Cup is also valuable preparation for our 2017-18 ABL season.”
“The teams playing for this year’s Merlion Cup are tough but we are always ready to take on this challenge. There is always renewed vigour playing tournaments in Singapore especially with the supporters encouraging and cheering us on,” added captain Desmond Oh. “We hope that we can continue to inspire local basketball players and that we can help in the continuous development of the sport in the country.”
“The teams playing for this year’s Merlion Cup are tough but we are always ready to take on this challenge. There is always renewed vigour playing tournaments in Singapore especially with the supporters encouraging and cheering us on,” added captain Desmond Oh. “We hope that we can continue to inspire local basketball players and that we can help in the continuous development of the sport in the country.”
The Merlion Cup 2017 will be the first time that will see seven teams competing against each other. Fans and supporters alike will be treated to more heart-pumping basketball action as this year’s edition added another match for every tournament day compared to last year’s two matches per day.
Two Southeast Asian Giants Join the Merlion Cup 2017 Lineup!
Indonesian National Basketball League Runners-up Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta and Philippine Basketball Association NLEX-SCTEX are the two latest teams to join the Merlion Cup as Alab Pilipinas withdraws
SINGAPORE, 23 August 2017 - The Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS) today announced the addition of two top quality teams in Southeast Asia to the lineup of this year’s Merlion Cup - Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta and NLEX-SCTEX, from Indonesia D-League and Philippines Basketball Association (PBA) League respectively. The Merlion Cup will be held at the OCBC Arena from 20 to 24 September 2017. The news comes on the back of the withdrawal of Alab Pilipinas due to conflicting schedule.
Established in 1994, Indonesia’s Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta (SMP) has a rich heritage having won the Kobatama League in 1999, SEABA Champions Cup in 2008 and were runners-up during the 2009 - 2010 ASEAN Basketball League Season. They are the current runners-up for the National Basketball League Indonesia tournament also garnering MVP of the Year, Rookie of the Year, and Coach of the Year awards. Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta is also the most decorated club in their league with nine National Basketball League championships under their belt.
The NLEX-SCTEX constitutes the top players from PBA’s NLEX Road Warriors and PBA D-League powerhouse Cignal HD Hawkeyes. The NLEX Road Warriors are a new inclusion in the PBA League having recently been promoted from the D-League which they won a record six-times. Cignal HD Hawkeyes on the other hand is the current top team in the PBA D-League, vying for the championship title in the 2017 PBA D-League Foundation Cup Finals. Coach Jojo Lastimosa, also a former PBA superstar, will head the NLEX-SCTEX in the upcoming Merlion Cup tournament.
Commenting on the changes to the roster, David Ong, President of the Basketball Association of Singapore said, “The Merlion Cup is committed to giving fans high quality games by gathering the top basketball teams in the region,” he added,“The Merlion Cup was hugely successful in 2016, and we’ve received significant interest from teams around the region wanting to take part in this year’s edition. The opportunity to have both Satria MudaPertamina Jakarta and NLEX-SCTEX was too good to turn down. This year, we will see seven teams competing for the first time with fans and spectators being treated to more adrenalin-pumping basketball action."
Ong added, “The continued support for the Merlion Cup is encouraging and we can look forward to a bigger tournament this year. We hope to develop the interest for the sport in the country and hopefully expand the competition beyond the region.”
Satria Muda Pertamina Jakarta and NLEX-SCTEX teams will join the Singapore Slingers, Adelaide 36ers, Jeonju KCC Egis, Yulon Luxgen Dinos and last year’s champions the Shanghai Sharks in the 2017 edition of the Merlion Cup.
Tickets for Merlion Cup 2017 are available for purchase via http://www.apactix.com/events/detail/merlion-cup-2017.
For ticketing information, please refer below:
Early Bird Package for Season Tickets
Normal Seating - $75 with T-Shirt and Merlion Cup freebies
Courtside Seating - $350 with T-Shirt and Merlion Cup freebies
Corporate Box
Normal Seating - $5,000 for 5 days (each box comes with wine, beer, soft drinks, and titbits)
Standard (Weekday)
Normal Seating - $18
Courtside Seating - $80
Standard (Weekend)
Normal Seating - $25
Courtside Seating - $100
For more information on the event, please visit:
WEBSITE: http://merlioncup.bas.org.sg/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/sgmerlioncup/
Images can be downloaded here: https://www.webcargo.net/l/sZsldL383r/
Photo Credit: Basketball Association of Singapore and name of photographer listed in the photos
FIBA Referee & International Coaching Clinics
24 September 2017 – Off court action during Merlion Cup, BAS organised a International Tournament Coaching Clinic that was designed and delivered by Dr Koh Koon Teck, FIBA instructor, sports scientist, and practitioner at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. It was supported by Mr Vlade Djurovic, a top level multiple-champion coach who has worked with numerous national and club teams in Europe for more than 25 years. FIBA Referee Clinic was delivered by Japan referee supervisor, Mr Atsuhiro Ueda.
The International Coaching Clinic is the first in Asia that aimed to equip coaches with relevant knowledge and skills required to prepare their teams for high level competitions effectively and efficiently, with the aim to improve team and players’ performance in the long run. Specifically, the clinic was targeted at coaches who worked with national, club, varsity or school teams.
The International Coaching Clinic is the first in Asia that aimed to equip coaches with relevant knowledge and skills required to prepare their teams for high level competitions effectively and efficiently, with the aim to improve team and players’ performance in the long run. Specifically, the clinic was targeted at coaches who worked with national, club, varsity or school teams.
The content of the four-day clinic included the science and art of coaching that underpinned peak performance. For example, theories relating to season planning and preparation, conducting of effective selection trials, building a dynamic team culture, scouting techniques, mental skills, coaching during game, tips on reading game statistics, as well as game review and reflection were delivered in morning sessions. Topics covered in class were reinforced when participant coaches watched the live games in the evenings to bridge the theory-practice link. The participant coaches also had the opportunity to discuss key observations and decisions made by coaches from the competing teams, and receive immediate feedback from both the instructors during or at the half-time of each game.
All participant coaches enjoyed such unique interactions and exchange of coaching ideas to that they believed improved their decision-making skills and broaden their knowledge on games coaching.
All participant coaches enjoyed such unique interactions and exchange of coaching ideas to that they believed improved their decision-making skills and broaden their knowledge on games coaching.
Another highlight of the clinic was the opportunity for the participant coaches to sample and observe interesting but effective training methods used in Serbia that improves players’ eye-hand co-ordination, fundamental movements, and decision-making skills. They also witnessed some unique offensive and defensive tactics used in Europe to meet the demands of high-intensity competitive games. Indeed, many participant coaches mentioned that it was an eye-opener for them and such exposure has definitely helped to sharpen their knowledge in competitive coaching.
In total, sixteen coaches who are currently coaching at local or oversea clubs and schools attended the four-day action-packed clinic. The clinic was physically and mentally demanding; for example, considerable time commitment and full participation in class and during games, feedback from the participant coaches on the organisation and execution of the clinic was very positive. Participating Coaches are looking forward to similar high level and authentic tournament coaching clinics to be held alongside the Merlion Cup next year!
The next edition of the Tournament Coaching Clinic will build on the successes of this clinic by providing participant coaches the opportunity to observe pre-game practice sessions of teams that are participating in the Merlion Cup. It will also invite coaches from these participating teams to dialogue with the clinic participants. Such experience will provide them another perspective in game coaching (aside from the instructors), and help clinic participants better understand coaches’ decision-making and thoughts processes to enhance their coaching knowledge.
Please contact BAS at 6743 8425 to register your interest.
Please contact BAS at 6743 8425 to register your interest.
The Merlion Cup will be back in Singapore this September
Singapore, 2 August 2017 – The Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS) is pleased to announce the return of its International marquee tournament, the Merlion Cup this 20th to 24th September 2017 at the OCBC Arena. Following last year’s successful comeback, this year’s Merlion Cup, now in its 11th edition is ready to set the courts ablaze as six of the best teams in the region compete for the coveted cup.
Basketball Association of Singapore President, Mr David Ong, commented, “Last year, we brought the Merlion Cup back so that our fans can have another high level marquee sporting event in Singapore’s basketball calendar. Fans were able to savour the high standard of play from these international teams The tournament was a success and brought our community together to watch, play and talk basketball. This year, we can look forward to an even better Merlion Cup.”
The Merlion Cup 2017 is expected to be better and more intense with stronger teams ensuring better competition. Making their Merlion Cup debuts are Australia's champions, the Adelaide 36ers, Taiwan SBL runners-up, the Yulon Luxen Dinos, KBL runners-up, the Jeonju KCC Egis, and Philippine's ABL representatives, the Alab Pilipinas. They will be joined by the hosts, the Singapore Slingers and last year’s champions, the Shanghai Sharks.
Fans will get to enjoy five-days of heart-pumping basketball action as early bird season and special packages go on sale on 3rd August 2017 while individual ticket sales for the Merlion Cup 2017 will be available for public purchase on 7th August 2017 online via http://www.apactix.com/events/detail/merlion-cup-2017.
To reward loyal basketball supporters, BAS has worked out a special season ticket for the Merlion Cup. At a cost of $75, season ticket holders will be able to watch 11 matches over five nights.
For more ticketing information, please refer below:
Early Bird Package for Season Tickets
Normal Seating - $75 with T-Shirt and Merlion Cup freebies
Courtside Seating - $350 with T-Shirt and Merlion Cup freebies
Corporate Box
Normal Seating - $5,000 for 5 days (each box comes with wine, beer, soft drinks, and titbits)
Standard (Weekday)
Normal Seating - $18
Courtside Seating - $80
Standard (Weekend)
Normal Seating - $25
Courtside Seating - $100
The Merlion Cup will provide the BAS with an opportunity to develop the local basketball scene and actively engage with the public to increase participation and support of the sport. Leading up to the tournament, members of public can look forward to several outreach activities such as Coaching Workshops, Basketball Clinics and meet and greet sessions with elite international players. These activities will be carried out during an upcoming exhibition that will take place closer to the date of the Merlion Cup.
For more information on the event, please visit:
WEBSITE: http://merlioncup.bas.org.sg/
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/sgmerlioncup/
Images can be downloaded here: https://www.webcargo.net/l/sZsldL383r/
Photo Credit: Basketball Association of Singapore and name of photographer listed in the photos
###
For media enquiries, please contact:
Kamille Castillo Agbisit
Weber Shandwick
T: +65 6825 8019
HP: +65 9824 5955
Email: kagbisit@webershandwick.com
Danial Cheah
Weber Shandwick
T: +65 6825 8047
HP: +65 9188 8024
Email: dcheah@webershandwick.com
For ticketing enquiries, please contact:
Felicia Tey
Basketball Association of Singapore
T: +65 6743 8425
Email: xiaowei@bas.org.sg
Merlion Cup History
Did you
know the Merlion Cup trophy donated by Singapore Tourist Promotion Board (STPB,
now STB), is special as it has the iconic Merlion statue on top which is made
of solid gold!
The first
event held at the new Singapore Indoor Stadium was the Merlion Cup basketball
finals on 3 December 1989, before the venue's official opening on New Year's
Eve by late former Prime Minister, Mr Lee Kuan Yew. Many still recall the 5th
Merlion Cup Finals in 1989 held at Singapore Indoor Stadium, where 12,000 fans
packed the venue to watch the final game between China and the then Soviet
Union.
"The Merlion Cup basketball Invitational
tournaments were held with teams from Spain, USA to USSR and China in the 80s
and 90s. They were so popular that the old Geylang Indoor Stadium (Gay World
Stadium) was filled to the brim.
It had a capacity of five thousand but could
squeeze in up to six or seven thousand spectators on the cement benches. The
ticket cost $5 and $10 only.
I remember that the more agressive patrons who were disappointed that
they could not get tickets were knocking down the gates, and the "ang
chia" (red cars in Hokkien) had to be called in to control the crowd!"
Quek Hiang Chiang (PBM)
(b.1932-) Former Honorary Secretary and current Advisor
Basketball Association Singapore (BAS)
Treasurer of FIBA since 1988