The team that won the 2010 YOG National Street Basketball Selections last year didn’t make the Youth Olympic Games provisional squad, according to Red Sports readers.

Six youth players from the Under-17 national basketball squad are apparently on the shortlist to represent Singapore in the 2010 Youth Olympic Games.

However, it seems they weren’t actually chosen at the selection held on November 8, 2008, at Kampong Ubi CC.

According to the organisers of the 3-on-3 event, this was the first time that the Basketball Association of Singapore was conducting an open national selection.

The press release went on to say the following:

“This event is the first round of selections for the YOG (basketball segment): winning teams and potential players scouted by a special panel of judges will move on to train with the national youth team and be picked for the YOG from there.”

The winning team, however, didn’t go on to train with the national youth team, according to Red Sports readers.

The eventual winner of the selections was a team from Ahmad Ibrahim Secondary. According to Red Sports reader Heng, the players were Edwin, Rui Kun, Jia Cheng and Van Damme.

They beat a team from Presbyterian High which had Bing Yao, Steven and Russel Low. Russel is on the shortlist of players for the YOG squad.

It’s excellent that BAS provides playing opportunities for youths during the school holidays. Due to high demand for basketball events, more tournaments have been staged over the years during the holidays. Some organisers even had to turn away teams.

However, it is unfortunate and misleading that the title of the event used the Youth Olympic Games to promote what essentially is a for-profit 3-on-3 event organised by a private company.

Teams of three to four players were charged $20 each per player for the selections.

It’s misleading to use the Olympic Games to promote the event in this way because it has led to misunderstanding on the ground.

The International Olympic Committee has rules preventing the use of the Olympic Games to promote a private event. The words “Olympic Games” cannot be used “for any profit-making, commercial or advertising purposes”, according to the Olympic Charter available from the International Olympic Committee website.

YOG 2010 Street Bball Selections

The event was promoted as a selection for the YOG 2010 squad. It was just a 3-on-3 streetball event.

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