Story contributed by Ian Chew and pictures by Trevor.

National player Wong Wei Long, also a Nanyang Poly engineering student, executing a lay up in training. (Photo courtesy of Trevor)

Get ready for the new basketball team on the block!

Aptly named Cagers, the semi-professional team, which consists of male basketball players aged between 14 and 24 years of age, aims to make a big impact among sports lovers in Singapore.

Explained Matthias Koh, spokesperson of the new basketball organization, “We believe that there is still a niche in Singapore that we can tap, to provide not just excitement but entertainment value for the audience towards local basketball stars.”

To achieve this, a Cagers Asia Basketball Challenge will be held from 27-29 June in Singapore. Three other foreign professional teams, two from Malaysia and one from Indonesia, will also participate in this tournament.

With this tournament, Matthias hoped that it will bring back the heydays of the semi professional basketball Tiger Cup campaign during the 1980s.

“I remember supporting the Singapore soccer team fervently during the days of the Malaysian Cup as well as the clubs during the basketball semi-pro league competition. Many fans could identify with the teams as they featured mainly local players. It is with this concept that we believe Singaporeans will come out in force in support a local basketball team playing against foreign teams.”

In order to achieve a good result in their maiden competition, the team has been hard in training three times a week since April. And the team is confident that they will not let their fans down.

“Recently I was involved in an overseas tournament with the top professional basketball team in Malaysia and we matched up to them pretty well. With our continued hard training, we believe that our team will be a good match for the rest of the teams,” explained team captain Hong Wei Jian, also one of four national team players currently in the squad.

As to fears that the tournament would be a one-off event, Matthias outlined the long term plans of the organization.

“We hope to use this tournament as a springboard to launch a professional basketball league consisting of teams around the region. We also hope to do our part in developing the youth players in Singapore by first talent scouting and then exposing them to a high level of competition. That is why we are intentionally targeting players below the age of 24 years,” he said.

Fans to the tournament can also look forward to special guest appearances by Taiwanese celebrity basketballer Johnny Yan Xing Shu and Mediacorp artiste Felicia Chin. There will also be a 3 on 3 youth basketball challenge as well as a 1 on 1 competition held in conjunction with the tournament at Jurong East Sports Hall. Tickets are priced at $20 per person per day and they can be purchased from any SISTIC outlet.

Captain Hong Wei Jian, currently serving his final year of NS, leads the way in his commitment to the team: “I hope to pursue basketball as a career with the organisation!” (Photo courtesy of Trevor)

The team hard in training, is led by head coach Ng Choon Hong and assistant coach Oh Thian Soon. (Photo courtesy of Trevor)

The players train three times a week, Tuesday and Thursday evenings as well as Saturday afternoons. (Photo courtesy of Trevor)

The team photo, taken at their training ground in Unity Secondary School indoor court, boasts of many up-and-coming young basketball stars. (Photo courtesy of Trevor)

Determined to go places, the organisation held its first press conference at Nee Soon East CC on 30 Apr (Wed) to showcase their ambitions. (Photo courtesy of Ian Chew)