A file picture of Kuching Lord Tiger celebrating their victory in the inaugural edition of the Yuwang EBL basketball league last year. Tigers will open their campaign in the Kuching Circuit of the Yuwang EBL basketball league today against Kota Kinabalu Eagles at 9pm.
KUCHING: The stage is set for yet another intensive rivalry among four teams as the 2nd edition of the Yuwang EBL basketball league gets underway today at the MBKS Indoor Stadium in Pending.
Defending champions Kuching Lord Tigers are also set for their title defence and they are braced for the big day after months of ‘warm-up competitions’. The Yuwang EBL matches hold promise to watch as the league is parading some of the nation’s best cagers as well as import professional cagers from the Philippines and Singapore.
In June, the Tigers competed in the CMC Elite Cup in Johor and finished as first runners-up after losing by three points to Perak Petrochem in the final. The same team took part in the 3rd Simon Wong Wee Khiong Cup Kuching basketball Open and emerged as champions after beating Tay Motors 78-68.
Since then, the Tigers have been training almost daily from 7pm to 9pm at MBKS Indoor Stadium to fine-tune team spirit, teamwork and stamina.
This year’s EBL will see Lord Tigers retaining seven out of the 12 players of the original squad. They include the evergreen former national cager Chai Chze Hian who is now aged 34, 193-cm tall Tsok Kian Hong, Benjamin Sim who is a former national youth player, Mohd Afifi Tahar, former national youth Liew Yuan Hua, Tan Wei Nkun and Own Jian Wei.
The most notable addition to the squad is former Miri Firehorse player Yiek Chai Teck who is well known for his robust and offensive play while others are Kelvin Law, Lee Joon Kang, Julian Tan and Andy Jong.
Kuching Lord Tigers’ imports from the Philippines are Ramsey Lewis Williams, Bobby Juandale Balucanag and Jessie James Bulaon Collado. Balucanag and Collado also helped Lord Tiger win the Simon Wong Wee Khiong Cup and have since gelled well with local players.
Lord Tigers are coached by national assistant coach and former national youth head coach Danny Yong.
Meanwhile, the Tigers will open their campaign in the Kuching Circuit of the Yuwang EBL basketball league today against Kota Kinabalu Eagles at 9pm while Labuan Wasps will face Brunei Beruang Blazers at 7pm. The Beruang Blazers are replacing the Miri Firehorse who opted out this year. (More stories & photos on page 31)
Minister of Local Government Datuk Senator Dr Sim Kui Hian will open the event at 8:30pm. Basketball fans, supporters and the public can buy the entrance tickets at RM12 (daily) RM30 (three-day) and VIP ticket at RM50, at the stadium entrance.
From Kuching, Yuwang EBL’s next stop is the Labuan Circuit from Sept 2-4 before moving to the Kota Kinabalu Circuit from Sept 9-11 and ending up in the Brunei Circuit from Sept 16-18.
For further enquiries call 012-6070400.