Brunei cagers to join 2nd EBL League

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Kuching Lord Tiger representative Chang Lee Kui hands over the championship trophy to Ryco Leong Nyuk On while (from right) Yuwang Group East Malaysia area general manager Chee Chi Vun, Kuching Lord Tiger assistant team manager Bong Boon Ket and organising chairman James Yap Kian Yeung look on at 56 Hotel Kuching last Sunday.

Kuching Lord Tiger representative Chang Lee Kui hands over the championship trophy to Ryco Leong Nyuk On while (from right) Yuwang Group East Malaysia area general manager Chee Chi Vun, Kuching Lord Tiger assistant team manager Bong Boon Ket and organising chairman James Yap Kian Yeung look on at 56 Hotel Kuching last Sunday.

KUCHING: The 2nd Yuwang EBL Basketball League is set to kick off from August 19-21 with the first leg in Kuching involving four teams Kuching Lord Tiger, Labuan Wasps, Kota Kinabalu Eagles and new addition Brunei Beruang Blazers.

Newly established Beruang Blazers are replacing Miri Firehorse in the semi-professional league which is expected to be completed in a month’s time, making stops also in Bandar Seri Begawan, Labuan and Kota Kinabalu.

Defending champions Lord Tiger are expected to face stiff competition from a reshuffled Labuan Wasps, last year’s runners-up, and the Eagles who will keep their line-up from last year’s campaign.

At the launching of the league at 56 Hotel Kuching last Sunday, organising chairman James Yap Kian Yeung said all teams are allowed to recruit three foreign players from South-east Asia to promote exposure for local cagers.

All the foreigners last year were from the Philippines.

Yap believed that the league would make an impact on the local basketball scene as it would spur local youths to take up basketball and improve their standard of play.

He thanked Yuwang Group for its continuous support as the main sponsor of the league and expressed satisfaction that a team from Brunei have agreed to join in the fray.

Meanwhile, Yap said the champions of the preliminary rounds will be decided on the highest points accumulated by the team in all the four legs in Kuching, Brunei, Labuan and Kota Kinabalu.

The team with highest points also gains an automatic berth in the final while the other final ticket will be fought between the teams with second and third highest points and the team with the lowest points eliminated.