RP to host ASEAN pro league launch

MANILA, Philippines - For its huge interest in the sport - not to mention its rich tradition - the Philippines has been given the honor to host the launching of the first regional professional basketball league - the ASEAN Basketball League.

This was revealed by Harbour Centre owner Mikee Romero after the league’s major shareholders, led by its chairman Tony Fernandes, agreed to put the Philippines in the limelight owing to its lofty status in the sport in the region.

“This is a great honor for us and I thank the ABL leadership for its trust and confidence in us in giving us the honor to host this very special event,” said Romero. “This is a historic occasion for all Filipinos for it shows how our ASEAN neighbors respect us when it comes to basketball.”

Romero, who co-owns the Philippine club team with ABC-5 owner Tony Boy Cojuangco, said the launching of the league is set on Aug. 18 with Fernandes, media mogul Erick Thohir of Indonesia, a ranking official of Singha Beer from Thailand and other representatives of the six-country league expected to grace the affair.

The ABL will officially start on Oct. 1 in Singapore.

Romero said the ABL is a low-cost but a high-quality entertainment although it will do away with the nationalistic concept since no one will dare to challenge the Philippine team.

“But since there is no basketball in the coming SEA Games, we in the ABL, will provide the action this year. This is a new experience that will create a new rivalry among ASEAN members and I’m sure this will give them a new ‘legal high’. So I hope Filipino basketball will support us in this endeavor,” said Romero.

Apart from the Philippines, also joining the league patterned after the highly successful European League, are Singapore, Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and Brunei.

Fernandes believes the ABL will be the catalyst towards a new era in sports development and management as they try to reach out and unite the 600 million South East Asians for a new regional sporting experience.