ASEAN basketball league created

KUALA LUMPUR —Filipino basketball players can now play for pay on a bigger stage.

The ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), a new association open to professional teams, rolls off this year in a bid to boost the game’s standard in the region.

“Clearly, Asia has made a major step forward in reaching the top level of organizational basketball,” Patrick Baumann, FIBA (international basketball federation) secretary general, said Monday at the league launch here.

The ABL will have a starting field of at least eight teams operated by private owners from each member country. Teams will play on a home-and-away format in the elimination phase, followed by a knockout playoff round starting in September until February 2010.

“In terms of level of competition, we’re not there yet, but with this league, the level of competition among Southeast Asian members will go up,” said Eric Thohir, president of the Southeast Asia Basketball Association.

“The number of teams (has not been finalized), but we’ll make sure that one country can have more than one team,” added Seaba secretary general Dato Yeoh Choo Hock.

Local talents will comprise the majority of players and only four imports—two non-Asians and two Asians—will be allowed to play in each team.

“They’ve always restricted the number of players to two, and as a result, the Australians have developed well,” said FIBA president Bob Elphinston.

“The aim is to develop local talents and local stars,” added Tony Fernandes, league chair and Air Asia CEO. “And maybe one day our countries will perform at the highest levels.”

Officials said the league will also ensure balanced competition.

“We know some countries are more advanced in this sport,” noted Thohir. “Players from the Philippines can also play as a foreign player for another team.”

The Philippines is the acknowledged power in ASEAN basketball, having dominated the Southeast Asian Games competition and other Seaba tournaments.