Bob Turner, managing director of professional basketball team the Singapore Slingers, talks to John Davidson about the creation of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL), the debut season and the prospects of the Slingers.

It may be less than six months old but the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) has big plans, with the fledgling professional completion out to become one of the best leagues in Asia according to Singapore Slingers managing director Bob Turner.

The Slingers are one of the six teams in the ABL, along with the Philippine Patriots, the Brunei Barracudas, the KL Dragons of Malaysia, Indonesia’s Satria Muda BritAma and the Thailand Tigers.

The ABL, which started in October last year, is an initiative between private investors from various industries and the South East Asian Basketball Association. A driving force for the competition has been AirAsia CEO Tony Fernandes, who is also the chairman of the Slingers and of the ABL.

Turner said the hardest part has been starting the league in such a short timeframe, and he described the debut season as of being “fantastic” so far. Turner said while it has been tough for some teams, with the uptake slow at times, the ABL is looking at expansion for next season.

“I think long term [we want to] become one of the best leagues in all of Asia,” Turner said.

“The ABL’s the only pro [sports] league in all of ASEAN. The opportunity is there.”
ESPN Star Sports has been broadcasting ABL games and GE has been signed as the league’s title sponsor. Since the start of the season the Singapore Slingers has signed Greenfields as its major sponsor, announced two new deals with Crocs and Jobstreet.com, and extended current deals with the likes of Harvey Norman, Brewerkz and CLSA.

Turner spoke to Sportsbizasia TV about the reaction of the public and corporates to the ABL in Singapore, and about the lack of live sport in the city-state and about the chances of the Slingers in the debut ABL season. The Slingers currently look set to take a play-off place, with the season finishing in February.

        

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