Singapore Set To Welcome Asia's Top Youth Basketballers

Singapore Set To Welcome Asia’s Top Youth Basketballers

NBA Players and Coaches to train and mentor 51 youth campers in Basketball without Borders Asia

Singapore, 24 June 2010 - More than 50 top young and aspiring basketball players* from across Asia have been selected to participate in Basketball without Borders (BWB) Asia. This exciting announcement was revealed by the Singapore Sports Council (SSC), the National Basketball Association (NBA) and the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) today. This will be the first time BWB is being held in Singapore and Southeast Asia.

1. These players, aged 19 and under, are from a record-breaking 21 countries and territories spanning the Asian continent and Oceania region. The selection of players was made by the NBA, FIBA and participating federations such as the Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS), and was based on players’ technical skills, leadership abilities and dedication to the sport. BWB Asia, which takes place from 28 June to 1 July 2010, will be held over various venues such as the Singapore Sports School and Singapore American School.

2. BWB Asia participants will be put through a training programme to hone their technical skills through drills, scrimmages, and competitions under the mentorship of NBA players and coaches. Teams will be formed without regard to race or nationality to promote friendship and diversity. The programme will provide top-level development both on and off the court as the participants take part in daily life-skills seminars that teach the values of the game such as leadership, character development, and living a healthy lifestyle. The camp will culminate with a BWB All-Star Game at the Singapore Sports School on 1 July. For the first time in BWB Asia history, the All-Star Game will be broadcast live on SuperSports Arena (StarHub TV Channel 201) at 5pm on 1 July. SuperSports Arena is a complimentary sports channel accessible by all StarHub TV customers.

3. “Being selected to participate in BWB Asia is like a dream come true”, said Singapore youth basketballer Larry Liew Hua Sen, who had competed in the 2009 Asian Youth Games and was selected by the BAS to participate in BWB Asia. He added: “I look forward to meet with these rising NBA stars, and to compete against other top youth basketball players from around Asia. This will give me valuable regional experience and also enable me to hone my technical edge.”

4. BWB is being brought to Singapore as part of a partnership between the NBA and the SSC to further develop the increasingly popular sport of basketball in Singapore and to promote a healthy and active lifestyle to youth. Partnership elements also include a ‘Chalk Talk’ on off-court coaching issues, a school visit by an NBA player and a community basketball event which will all take place around BWB Asia.

5. BWB Asia will feature Nike, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, 100PLUS and StarHub as marketing partners, and Spalding as the official supplier. BWB marketing partners since 2002, Nike will again outfit all the camp participants and coaches with Nike footwear and apparel and Spalding will supply all basketball equipment for the camp.

List of players participating in 2010 Basketball without Borders Asia

For media enquiries, please contact:
Singapore Sports Council
Jose Raymond
Deputy Director
Media Relations and Social Media
Singapore Sports Council
Office: (65) 6500 5289
Email: jose_raymond@ssc.gov.sg

Dominic Tay
Assistant Director
Media and Public Relations
Singapore Sports Council
Office: (65) 6500 5247
Email: dominic_tay@ssc.gov.sg

National Basketball Association
Rachel Walsh
Coordinator
International Communications
NBA New York
DID: (212) 407 8058
Email: rwalsh@nba.com

Kam Hung Ip
Senior Manager
International Communications
NBA Hong Kong
DID: (852) 2843 9628
Email: khip@nba.com

FIBA
Simon Wilkinson
Tel.: (41) 22 545 00 00
Email: communications@fiba.com

Fulford PR
Ronda Ng
DID: (65) 6324 5293
Email: rng@fulfordpr.com

Shane Neubronner
DID: (65) 6324 1378
Email: sneubronner@fulfordpr.com

About Singapore Sports Council
Formed in 1973, the Singapore Sports Council (SSC) is tasked with developing a holistic sports culture for the nation. The SSC creates opportunities for people to excel in sports; opportunities for people to be engaged in sports as, coaches, officials, volunteers or fans; and opportunities for people to do business in sports as sponsors and investors. The SSC has changed the way Singaporeans view and participate in sports. Through sports, we now have an enhanced national identity thanks to our sports participation programmes; greater national pride as a result of high performance results at international and regional games; and more diversified economic stability through our vibrant sports industry initiatives.

To find out more, visit our website www.sportsingapore.gov.sg
Join SSC on Twitter at: www.twitter.com/singaporesports
Join Singaporesports.sg on Facebook at: www.facebook.com/livebetterthroughsport
For a range of photographs, search for “Singapore Sports Council” on www.flickr.com/photos/ssc-sportsphotography

About the NBA
The NBA, founded in 1946, is a professional sports league and global business that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2009-10 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league’s worldwide reach is also displayed in the 80 international players from 35 countries and territories on NBA rosters. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than 26 million page views per day, with more than 50 percent of the site’s visitors coming from outside of North America. Through NBA Cares, the league, its teams and players have donated more than $115 million to charity, provided more than one million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 450 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.