Singapore Slingers to battle Beijing Aoshen

By Cheryl Ng

The only two professional basketball teams that have ever been based in Singapore will now battle it out on the court tomorrow at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

The Beijing Aoshen team arrived in Singapore last November and played 28 regular-season games in the 26-team American Basketball Association at the Toa Payoh Sports Hall. The Chinese team drew much comparison then to the Singapore Slingers, Singapore’s first professional basketball team, which was then in its second season of the NBL.

The Beijing Aoshen team left Singapore in March, and are now back to face the Singapore Slingers in a much-anticipated showdown between the only two professional basketball teams that have ever been based in Singapore.

Beijing Aoshen’s star point-guard and Chinese Olympiad Sun Yue, who dazzled basketball fans here last year with his quick moves, has left to join the LA Lakers in the National Basketball Association (NBA), becoming only the fifth Chinese player to make it to the NBA.

The Beijing outfit will instead feature three American imports for the Singapore Challenge Series game against the Singapore Slingers this Sunday at the Singapore Indoor Stadium at 4pm.

“When the Beijing Aoshen came over to Singapore last year, many people were looking forward to seeing the only two professional basketball teams in Singapore in a display of the best basketball in Singapore,” said Slingers Managing Director Bob Turner.

“Basketball fans will now get the chance to witness that greatly anticipated showdown when the Slingers take on the Beijing Aoshen this Sunday and we are certainly looking forward to that challenge,” he added.

The Slingers will be led by their consistent sharp shooter Darren Ng, who led his team to victory with 23 points against Purefoods Giants in front of a record crowd of 5,500 spectators at the Singapore Indoor Stadium last Tuesday.

The home team will also be counting on new American import Jamal Brown, who was flown in last Saturday to give the Slingers the inside presence they badly need after a back injury to centre Eric Sandrin that may see him out for 6 weeks. Centre Blagoj Janev, who top scored in the last game against Sydney Spirit with 22 points, will also look to continue his top form for the Slingers.

“This is a very tall team that we are facing, with an average height of 2 metres, so we’ll really need to step up our play this Sunday,” said Slingers head coach Gordon McLeod.

“Many people were comparing both teams last year, and it will be a great opportunity for basketball fans to witness the much anticipated showdown between the only two professional teams that have ever been based in Singapore.”