A vision that began four years ago is far from realised

22/10/1998

FOUR foreign coaches, eight full-fledged professionals from abroad and 32
top Malaysian cagers gathered in Kuching in 1995 to launch the Malaysian
Basketball League (MBL) that would eventually provide the local game a
broad talent base.
While it would be too much to ask the Malaysians to emulate the likes of
the NBA megastars, being able to form a strong national team would have
been sufficient.
Alas, after four years, the Malaysian Amateur Basketball Association
(Maba) can't assemble a decent team to send to the Asian Games in Bangkok.
As the basketball circus started in Segamat and moved to Kuala Lumpur,
Ipoh, Penang and back to KL this season, the question of where the
Malaysian game goes from here haunts Maba.
The MBL - introduced to inject a little of the NBA hype and develop
local talent - is already at crossroads.
Also at the crux of the matter is the question of sponsorship which
affected the MBL - the coveted RM100,000 title purse was reduced to
RM50,000 this season.
Sponsors have shied away from the MBL and Maba will have to look
elsewhere to keep the league running into its fifth season.
It will not be easy, as these are trying times for sponsors too, given
the current economic situation.
And as they are looking for sponsors next season, Maba will also have to
look into ways of making the league more exciting.
Gate collection this season suggest a drastic drop in fan support at all
venues.
The fans need more action, something along the lines of the NBA that
calls for talent and more dunks to pack the stadiums.
There is also the question of five teams trying to fight it out for the
top spot. The Penang Stallions made an encouraging debut but the league
needs more as five is too small a number and the participation too limited
to raise standards and increase the level of competition, with or without
the services of imports.
And the duration of the MBL is far too short to generate the feverish
excitement needed.
By the look of things, the league will not have more teams in the near
future simply because Maba do not have enough players to form a bigger or
better League.
But the fault is not Maba's alone. They have done their part to recruit
more players with their Tall Talent programme and the numerous coaching
clinics held nationwide.
Maba president Datuk Loke Yuen Yeow has even baited cagers with places
at good schools but there have been few takers.
Until the sport attracts the attention of all Malaysians, the MBL will
remain what it is today - mediocre and served by the same faces year in
and year out.
(END)