By Ian Chew

Jason Castro of the Singapore Slingers. (Photo 1 ©Ã‚ Les Tan/Red Sports)

Catholic High School, August 19, 2008, Tuesday – Intensity was the key. So said Pathman, the only Singaporean in the Slingers squad this season.

“Many people had asked me about the secret of the Slingers’ success, but we Singaporeans are actually practicing with the same drills as the Slingers. The only difference is that they perform it at such a high level of intensity and sustain that throughout each and every practice session,” he explained in a post-match interview.

Indeed, the intense desire to perform and win was clearly seen in the exhibition game, even though it was only a friendly among themselves. This was highlighted when point guard Shane MacDonald was poked in the eye while tussling for a rebound, despite the team having to fly off in two days for an overseas tournament!

Still, the entertainment factor was very much present. Both teams attacked the basket from the start, resulting in a free-flowing, high scoring game complete with its crowd-pleasing array of passes, 3-point shooting and dunks.

New Slingers signing Jason Castro, put in an electrifying performance, creating easy baskets for his teammates with his mazy dribbling and penetration moves. Despite standing at only 1.75 metres tall, the 21 year-old point guard was easily the crowd’s favourite player with his showmanship, showing no hesitation as he took on his opponents’ defense. He scored seven points in the game.

The top Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft pick had opted to join the Slingers instead of signing for a local club. PBA’s loss may prove to be Singapore’s gain as we will have the opportunity to witness his silky skills throughout this season.

Other impressive performances came from forward Amien Kirkland, decked in Jordan’s #23 jersey, and centre Blagov Janev. Amien was red-hot from the three-point line, scoring 15 of his 17 points from beyond the arc while Blagov was quietly effective, providing both inside and outside offense to pour in 31 points.

Captain Ben Knight, the ever experienced veteran of the squad, showed his composure and consistency to help his team with 15 points in the game.

Incidentally, the Slinger (Red) team pipped the Slingers (Yellow) team 84-82 in a hard fought match.

They will next proceed to Brunei for an invitational tournament, in preparation for the upcoming season. Their season though, is still shrouded in uncertainty after deciding to pull out of the National Basketball League (NBL) of Australia.

Fans though can look forward to seeing them play quality opponents in a home-and-away system this season at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Pathman Matialakin, the only Singaporean on the Slingers roster. (Photo 2 © Les Tan/Red Sports)

Slingers

Slingers’ Sam Harris from Tasmania towers over Catholic High point guard Aaron Wong at seven feet four inches tall. He demonstrated his unusual reach by pulling the rim on his toes! (Photo 3 by Ian Chew)

Singapore Slingers Yellow:
#0 Eric Gravblue
#6 JJ O’Brien
#12 Chris Daniel
#14 Eric Sandriv
#17 Jason Castro
#21 Blagov Janev

Singapore Slingers (Red):
#7 Shane MacDonald
#8 Darren Ng
#15 Pathman Matialakin
#23 Amien Kirkland
#30 Sam Harris
#33 Ben Knight

Video Highlights of the Slingers exhibition match:

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5inWDNQ7FSs