Basketballer Russel Low wins award at NBA Asia camp

Contributed by Katherine See

Singapore Sports School, Thursday, July 1, 2010 — The 2010 Basketball without Borders (BWB) Asia camp ended today with a flourish, as 20 of the best performing campers were selected and placed into two teams to compete against each other in a thrilling All-Star game this afternoon at the Singapore Sports School.

In the end, the White Team led by Don Newman (San Antonio Spurs) and Bob McAdoo (Miami Heat) claimed victory over the Red Team, winning 70-58. The teams were locked until the final quarter when the White Team took the initiative to build an unassailable lead.

The winning team featured Russel Low, aged 17, who also clinched the Fullerton Hustle Award for being the most enthusiastic and disciplined player on and off the court. Russel is part of the national Youth Olympic Games basketball team and his performance during the camp will put him in good stead as he prepares for the upcoming Games in August.

The four days of the 2010 BWB Asia event saw NBA stars such as Al Horford (Atlanta Hawks) and Taj Gibson (Chicago Bulls) coach 44 aspiring youth basketball players from 19 countries in Asia. They also reached out to local community groups and Singaporean youths through three community events — a Special Olympics Clinic, the orphanage visit to the Jamiyah Children’s Home and the NBA Fit Clinic for 80 youths in partnership with YMCA.

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.

BWB Asia features Nike, The Fullerton Hotel Singapore, 100PLUS and StarHub as marketing partners, and Spalding as the official supplier. BWB marketing partners since 2002, Nike once again outfits all the camp participants and coaches with Nike footwear and apparel and Spalding supplies all basketball equipment for the camp.

Individual Awards

1. StarHub Shooting Star Award – Mario Emmanuel Bonleon (Philippines)
The winner of the 3-Point Contest, Mario Bonleon proved himself to be the best 3-point shooter among the participants of the camp. He also defeated Francisco Garcia (Sacramento Kings) in a 3-Point shootout to claim bragging rights.

2. Fullerton Hustle Award – Russel Low Wenqiang (Singapore)
Exemplifying dedication, consistency, enthusiasm and discipline off and on the court, Russel Low was awarded the Fullerton Hustle Award. A member of the Singapore Youth Olympic Games basketball team, Russel was one of four local players to feature in the camp.

3. Nike All-Star MVP Award – Tom Daly (Australia)
As part of the White Team, Tom Daly played a prominent role in ensuring that his team came out tops in the All-Star Game. The lean point-guard outshone many during the game, and was awarded the Nike All-Star MVP Award.

4. Nike Camp MVP Award – Chen Yong-Chun (Chinese Taipei)
Chen Yong-Chun was awarded the Nike Camp MVP Award for being the best performer throughout the four-day camp. Also part of the winning White Team of the All-Star Game, Yong-Chun was given the award as the NBA coaching team felt that he performed outstandingly during the training sessions and practice matches.