MBL ready to rock the rim once again

26/09/1998

THE Malaysian Basketball League (MBL) is back and judging by the foreign
players assembled this season, it is going to be an explosive affair.
Brian Lester, the Australian who coached the Johor Tigers to a double
triumph last season, has secured 10 cagers from Australian leagues and
they look good, at least on paper, when the season tips off on Wednesday.
"Although some of our sponsors have pulled out, we felt the MBL needed
the services of foreigners, so we went ahead with 10 signings," said
Malaysian Amateur Basketball Association (Maba) executive director Yeoh
Choo Hock.
Yeoh is of the opinion the local cagers still have much to learn and the
best way to help them improve is to allow them to play alongside foreign
players.
Lester, who has been with the League as a coach for three seasons, is
the MBL co-ordinator this year.
The foreigners this year are Rodney Walker and Clyde Jordan (Selangor),
Vern Robateau and Derrick Leak (Perak), George Butler and Chris Sneed
(Johor), Greg Gibson and Hosie Grimsley (Sarawak), Billy Ikes and Matt
Houle (Penang).
The MBL have a new expansion team in the Penang Stallions this season.
"There are only two `old' imports this season but that should not be a
problem because I can assure you the present batch is much better than the
previous ones," said Butler, who steered Johor to the overall title last
year.
The other regular is Sneed, who played for the Selangor Dragons last
season. This time, he will team up with Butler for Johor's second title
charge.
"The only change this season is that we have done away with foreign
coaches for all teams. Local coaches have been handed the task to groom
their players. This is part of Maba's programme to improve the standard of
coaching," said Yeoh.
Tickets are RM15 for the Segamat Indoor Stadium, RM20 for the air-
conditioned Maba Stadium, RM10 and RM15 for the Indera Mulia Stadium in
Ipoh, RM15 for the Han Chiang Stadium in Penang and RM10 and RM20 for
Stadium Negara, venue for the semifinals and final.
FIXTURES: At the Segamat Indoor Stadium - Sept 30: Perak v Sarawak
(7pm), Penang v Johor (9pm); Oct 1: Sarawak v Selangor (7pm), Johor v
Perak (9pm); Oct 2: Selangor v Penang (7pm), Johor v Sarawak (9pm).
At the Maba Stadium in KL - Oct 4: Perak v Penang (7pm), Selangor v
Johor (9pm); Oct 5: Penang v Sarawak (7pm), Perak v Selangor (9pm).
At Indera Mulia Stadium - Oct 8: Johor v Selangor (7pm), Penang v Perak
(9pm); Oct 9: Selangor v Sarawak (7pm), Perak v Johor (9pm); Oct 10: Johor
v Penang (7pm), Sarawak v Perak (9pm).
At Han Chiang Stadium - Oct 12: Perak v Selangor (7pm), Penang v Sarawak
(9pm); Sarawak v Johor (7pm), Selangor v Penang (9pm).
At Stadium Negara - Oct 16: 1st semifinal (7pm), 2nd semifinal (9pm);
Oct 17: final (8pm).
(END)