By Les Tan

adidas Nations basketball

Larry Liew of North Vista with Golds coaches Clement Lim (left) and Ong Yao Kwang. (Photo 1 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

18 basketballers made the cut at the recent trials for the adidas Nations League and four of the 18 have made it into the Golds team in the second round draft.

The league consists of four teams that will play a round-robin format next February 2009 and the best two players in the league will get a chance to represent Singapore at the adidas Nations basketball camps in China and the United States.

A further seven players will also get to represent Singapore at the adidas 5, a regional tournament, in China in October 2009.

Golds, one of the four teams, is coached by Mr Ong Yao Kwang and Mr Clement Lim.

“Quite a few players impressed me during the trials and we have chosen four of them,” said coach Ong. “They are Khoo Dawei (Hougang Sec), Rayson Quek (Peirce Sec), Hoe Ming Jun (Nanyang Poly) and Johnny Teh (Nanyang Poly). Of the four, Khoo Dawei impressed me more with his accurate shot.”

Golds will be up against three other teams – Whites, Blacks, Reds – and the four teams have some of the best 18 and under talents in Singapore.

“I think we have a group of good players that can challenge the other three teams. Our weakness is in our centres but we will work hard in training to improve.”

Golds will train at Catholic High every Saturday from 4 to 6pm. The provisional squad of 15 players will be cut to 12 by the end of the year.

Provisional Golds squad:
Chua Soon Hua Yishun Secondary
Tan Hong Kwang Temasek Polytechnic
Gerald Toh Seng Kang Secondary
Koh Jia Cheng Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary
Van Damme Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary
Raymond Chong Presbyterian High
Larry Liew North Vista Secondary
Joshua Neo Tamasek Polytechnic
Wu Qingde Chung Cheng High (Yishun)
Khoo Dawei Hougang Secondary (2nd round draft)
Yuen Wai Yao Woodlands Ring Secondary
Sho Kuwata Overseas Family School
Rayson Quek Peirce Secondary (2nd round draft)
Hoe Ming Jun Nanyang Polytechnic (2nd round draft)
Johnny Teh Nanyang Polytechnic (2nd round draft)

adidas Nations basketball

Khoo Da Wei of Hougang Secondary with Golds coaches Clement Lim (left) and Ong Yao Kwang. (Photo 2 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

adidas Nations basketball

Hoe Ming Jun of Nanyang Polytechnic with Golds coaches Clement Lim (left) and Ong Yao Kwang. (Photo 3 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

adidas Nations basketball

A drafted player with Golds coaches Clement Lim (left) and Ong Yao Kwang. (please update name in comments section) (Photo 4 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

adidas Nations basketball

A drafted player with Golds coaches Clement Lim (left) and Ong Yao Kwang. (please update name in comments section) (Photo 5 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

adidas Nations basketball

Wu Qingde of Chung Cheng High (Yishun) with Golds coaches Ong Yao Kwang (left) and Clement Lim. (Photo 6 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

adidas Nations basketball

Joshua Neo of Temasek Polytechnic with Golds coaches Ong Yao Kwang (left) and Clement Lim. (Photo 7 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

adidas Nations basketball

Japanese player Sho Kuwata of the Overseas Family School Golds coaches Ong Yao Kwang (left) and Clement Lim. (Photo 8 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

adidas Nations basketball

A drafted player with Golds coaches Ong Yao Kwang (left) and Clement Lim. (please update name in comments section) (Photo 9 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

adidas Nations basketball

A drafted player with Golds coaches Ong Yao Kwang (left) and Clement Lim. (please update name in comments section) (Photo 10 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

adidas Nations basketball

The Golds team. (Photo 11 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

adidas Nations basketball

Golds coaches Ong Yao Kwang (left) and Clement Lim discuss their draft picks at the recent trials. (Photo 12 © Lai Jun Wei/Red Sports)

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