KUALA LUMPUR: For the first time, the Malaysian Basketball Association (MABA) in collaboration with the United States Basketball Academy (USBA), will be setting up a special basketball academy in Malaysia to hone talents of young players in that sport.
USBA president, Bruce O’Neil said his good relations with the former Secretary-General of MABA, Datuk Yeoh Choo Hock and the potential of the young players in the country was the main reason he agreed to establish the academy.
O’Neil said young players in Malaysia had a tremendous motivation for basketball and this had captured his attention.
“My relationship with him (Choo Hock) is the main reason why I’m here…over the years I watched him work and I can say that what he did for basketball in Malaysia is truly amazing.
“There are so many young talented players in Malaysia and I don’t want to see their talent wasted,” he told a press conference of the programme here today.
Meanwhile, Yeoh said he was very pleased with the collaboration and hoped the program would be able to produce world class basketball players and not reject the possibility of that one day the local players can be seen in action in the National Basketball Association (NBA) League.
He said work on the programme was being actively carried out starting today and targeting young players as early as 12 years old from the whole country. -Bernama