Farewell Ambassador Yano

Bandar Seri Begawan

Sunday, June 27, 2010 

With all the interests given, diplomacy is his forte and made everybody realized that Mr. Alexander B. Yano, outgoing Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the Philippines to Brunei is a major factor in Brunei-Philippines relationship specially in the fields of agriculture and the peace process in Mindanao.

Ambassador Yano will end his administrative duty on June 30th of this month.

The diplomatic ambassador is also a hardwood leader averaging 12 points per contest as a member of team Young Once in the previous basketball tournaments.

Sir, good luck to your life's another journey as a civilian and we hope that we will see you here again in Brunei, in the hardwood. You deserved the highest award ever.

The basketball community and the Filipino people will truly miss you and we wish you the best in all of your endeavors. Again, thank you for the high spirits and best memories you carried with you throughout the past 11 months with us.

More of Ambassador’s open letter can be found here.

Related post here.

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Temburong manage to break bank

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 26, 2010

TEMBURONG withstood a strong challenge from the Brunei Association of Banks (BAB) and left it till late to secure an 82-66 victory last night in Group B to advance into the semi-finals of the 9th National Sports Festival's (PSK) men's basketball event at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Five players hit double figures for the Temburong side which fielded a roster of former national players.

Rosli Said topscored for the defending champions with 17 points in the triumph while Cavan Kong scored a game-high 24 points to pace BAB in the losing effort.

BAB got off to a hot start and were firing on all cylinders from both the inside and out. They put the Temburong defence on edge by driving to the hoop.

Temburong responded by passing the ball around and hauling down the rebounds. This led to them successfully scoring from the inside, with the BAB defence failing to cover their lanes.

Nonetheless, BAB managed to open up a 25-18 lead heading into the second quarter.

The story didn't change in the second period and BAB continued to run well to convert quick transition points.

Both teams were hustling for loose balls, throwing their bodies to the deck.

Temburong kept it close by outrunning their opponents for fastbreaks.

BAB had lost some of their scoring touch but maintained their advantage from the charity stripe with a 39-30 scoreline at halftime.

The game changed in the third period with both teams playing sloppy and finding difficulty in getting any shots to fall.

Temburong went with the basic man-to-man defence midway through the quarter and were drawing fouls at the other end of the court to end the stanza on a 6-0 run, closing the deficit to within 53-50 going into the last quarter.

Temburong finally got the lead at 57-55 early in the period. In the end, it was the experience of the Temburong side that helped them settle the match with a nervy finish from BAB. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Temburong manage to break bank

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 26, 2010

TEMBURONG withstood a strong challenge from the Brunei Association of Banks (BAB) and left it till late to secure an 82-66 victory last night in Group B to advance into the semi-finals of the 9th National Sports Festival's (PSK) men's basketball event at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Five players hit double figures for the Temburong side which fielded a roster of former national players.

Rosli Said topscored for the defending champions with 17 points in the triumph while Cavan Kong scored a game-high 24 points to pace BAB in the losing effort.

BAB got off to a hot start and were firing on all cylinders from both the inside and out. They put the Temburong defence on edge by driving to the hoop.

Temburong responded by passing the ball around and hauling down the rebounds. This led to them successfully scoring from the inside, with the BAB defence failing to cover their lanes.

Nonetheless, BAB managed to open up a 25-18 lead heading into the second quarter.

The story didn't change in the second period and BAB continued to run well to convert quick transition points.

Both teams were hustling for loose balls, throwing their bodies to the deck.

Temburong kept it close by outrunning their opponents for fastbreaks.

BAB had lost some of their scoring touch but maintained their advantage from the charity stripe with a 39-30 scoreline at halftime.

The game changed in the third period with both teams playing sloppy and finding difficulty in getting any shots to fall.

Temburong went with the basic man-to-man defence midway through the quarter and were drawing fouls at the other end of the court to end the stanza on a 6-0 run, closing the deficit to within 53-50 going into the last quarter.

Temburong finally got the lead at 57-55 early in the period. In the end, it was the experience of the Temburong side that helped them settle the match with a nervy finish from BAB. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Palm deny Liga Bumiputera sanctuary

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, June 25, 2010

Palm Cafe ended Liga Bumiputera's chances of making it into the semi-finals with an 87-58 thumping in Group B of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Danny Felicilda had the hot hands for Palm Cafe with a game-high of 21 points while Geve Leones and Jolito Entapan each contributed 16 points.

On the other hand, Mohd Azrani Hamzah topscored for Liga Bumiputera with 19 points and Lim Liang Wei chipped in 11 points to a losing cause.

Palm Cafe got off to a hot start with good defence and went on the break to open up a 21-2 lead midway through the opening period. They were dominating the boards and covering the cutting lanes but Liga Bumiputera got their act together and started knocking down shots to cut the deficit to 26-16 going into the second quarter.

Liga Bumiputera were dribbling the ball too much which led to turnovers but they slowly chipped away the lead as Palm Cafe settled for long distance shots which they failed to convert.

It was tied at 28-28 midway through the quarter but Palm Cafe shifted
gears to finish off their opponents with a 14-2 run to stay ahead at 45-30 at halftime.

Things never changed after the break and Liga Bumiputera had their backs against the wall with only two players on the bench.

Palm Cafe would continue to run the floor to extend their lead to as much as 31 points, cruising to victory. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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BSP beat BAB to make semis

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, June 23, 2010

BRUNEI Shell Petroleum (BSP) held on to an 83-74 victory over Brunei
Association of Banks (BAB) last night for their second straight win in
Group B of the men's basketball event of the 9th National Sports Festival (PSK) at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

The triumph ensures that the team have passage into the semi-finals with one more game left in their group.

BSP produced a balanced offence with four players notching double figures. Esmond Tan had the game-high of 27 points while Mark See contributed 18 points. Enrico Quk Ho added 16 points while Foo Kian Ming chipped in 12 points in the win.

On the other hand, Cavan Kong scored 18 points to lead BAB and Kenny Lim poured in 18 points. Phung Say Shin and Koh Wee Chian chipped in 11 points in a losing effort.

Both teams got off to a slow start and the scoreline was locked at 8-6 in favour of BSP midway through the opening period. BAB were getting good looks but failed to get anything going with their shots from both the inside and outside rolling off the rim on several possessions. BSP exploited the situation and ended the quarter with a 17-6 run to open up a 25-12 advantage going into the second stanza.

Tan was getting doubled each time he touched the ball but would dish it to his teammates who would convert on the open shots. They were also driving through the baseline and attacking from inside the paint despite their size disadvantage. However, BSP unloaded their bench towards the end of the period and allowed BAB to crawl back into the game cutting the deficit to 41-32 at halftime. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Shootout: Brunei-Muara vs Belait

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, June 20, 2010

IT WAS the same old story but a different chapter as Belait thrashed
Tutong 73-15 in the women's basketball event for the 9th National Sports Festival (PSK) at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat last night.

This was the second straight thumping for Tutong as they fell to the defending champions Brunei-Muara 71-16 on Friday night.

Four players notched double-figures for Belait in last night's triumph with Lim Cruik Ting scoring a game-high 25 points to lead Belait.On the other hand, Vivien Tan led Tutong with five points for the loss.

The game was a repeat of Friday night's match as Tutong were once again dominated in every department of the game. They went without a field goal in the opening period and trailed 17-0 heading into the second quarter.

Tutong got their first two points on their first possession in the second period with a jumpshot by Tan. They picked up their efforts on tthe defensive end to hold their opponents, who were rushing their shots and failed to convert, to 12 points in the quarter to trail 29-7 at halftime.

Playtime was over in the third stanza as Belait switched gears and were rampant on the boards to go on the break for easy baskets, sealing Tutong's fate in the competition.

"We're not completely satisfied with our performance tonight (Saturday night). We only had eight players for the match and they really gave it their all. We never let up as we feared that our opponents might make a comeback," Belait captain Sheau Chien, told The Brunei Times. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Urdan Express drop Shun Wei

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 19, 2010

URDAN EXPRESS are still hot in the hunt for a semi-finals spot
following a 84-77 victory over Shun Wei in Group A of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup on Thursday night.

Playing at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat, Roldan Binas scored a game-high 22 points to pace Urdan Express while Novem Mamacang topscored for Shun Wei with 20 points in a losing effort.

Urdan Express started off the game with their second string of players and got off to a slow start. Shun Wei were moving the ball quickly but failed to score on several easy attempts making it a sluggish opening period for both teams.

Shun Wei however came up on top of the first quarter by taking a 14-11 lead into the second period.

Urdan Express's starters entered the game in the second stanza but struggled to perform early off the bench.

Mark Del Mundo was doing his usual job cleaning the glass and scoring inside the paint while Shun Wei were clearly missing their centre and topscorer Sonny Bautista in the match but still managed to extend their advantage to 41-33 at halftime.

It was a whole different affair in the third quarter as Urdan Express
pulled out all the stops on the defensive end by adapting to a man-to-man strategy.

Shun Wei, who had been creating good shots in the first half were never the same side as they only managed 10 points in the quarter, translating to a 64-51 deficit heading into the final period.

Shun Wei were however quickly losing steam as they lacked depth on the bench while Urdan Express were in total control, utilising their bench completely.

There was never a real threat of a Shun Wei comeback despite the close score as Urdan Express picked up their fourth victory in five games of the tournament. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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PSK: Brunei-Muara start strong

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 19, 2010

SOME things change while others stay the same.

Brunei-Muara are enroute to defend their title for the women's basketball event for the 9th National Sports Festival (PSK) with a 71-16 thumping of Tutong last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Masyidah Abdullah had the game-high of 14 points, with 12 coming in the first period, for Brunei-Muara while Grace Chin and Tiong Sing Chung poured in eight points each.

Meanwhile, Liong Li Yen topscored for Tutong with six points.

The outcome of the match was never in doubt from the start as Brunei-Muara were dominant in every department of the game while their opponents failed to keep up.

It was 20-0 at the end of the first quarter and Tutong only managed to get on the scoreboard, courtesy of a jumpshot by Liong, in the eighth minute of the second period.

Brunei-Muara never let up and got everyone involved to power them to the win.

Brunei-Muara thrashed Tutong 76-14 in the two teams' previous meeting and their head coach, Christina Tan, felt that the game was not over until everything is said and done.

She is also anticipating a tough challenge from the Belait side.

Only three teams - Brunei-Muara, Tutong and Kuala Belait - are competing in the women's category.

"The ball is round so it'll be hard to say. Belait have got very quick and young players. Tonight's (Friday night) game was a lot easier and the team have not shown what they are capable of," Tan informed The Brunei Times after the triumph.

"The team have only trained together once before the tournament but most of them have gelled together from before while some have just returned back just in time from their studies abroad," added Tan. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Record breaking PSK this year

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, June 18, 2010

The Sultanate's premier bi-annual local sport competition just continues to get bigger and better after every edition.

An estimated record number of 3,633 athletes are expected to participate in the upcoming 9th National Sports Festival (PSK) scheduled to be held from June 26 - July 3.

The competition will see the Sultanate's top athletes compete for a total of 2071 medals (654 gold, 654 silver and 763 bronze) from a record number of 28 sporting events to be contested at the eight-day competition.

Previously there were only 23 sports for the 2008 edition.

The new additions are lawn bowls, squash, ten-pin bowling, top-spinning (gasing) and tug-of-war.

In addition to the four districts, teams from Institute of High Education
(UBD, ITB and UNISSA), Sports School Council, Royal Brunei Armed Forces Sports Council, Royal Brunei Police Force Sports Council, Brunei Shell Petroleum, Royal Brunei Airlines and the Brunei Association of Banks will also be competing for top honours.

The organisers have also invited two foreign contingents this year. Labuan will be competing in lawn bowls events and Limbang in the tug-of-war.

The tournament is held with the main objective of discovering new talent in the sports that are being contested, with the long-term goal of moulding the competitors into Brunei representatives for future regional and international competitions.

First organised in 1981, the tournament also hopes to encourage the participants to lead a healthy lifestyle.

A meeting was held between the Department of Youth and Sports, Ministry of Culture, Youth and Sports, and members of the various sports associations yesterday to discuss the tournament at the Multipurpose Hall, Games Village at the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas.

Present to chair the meeting was Panglima Asgar Dato Paduka Hj Abdullah, Director of the Youth and Sports Department.

Though the opening ceremony will only be held next Saturday, the tournament unofficially kicks off today with the basketball competition at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat at 7pm.

Source: The Brunei Times

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Not enough Hope to stop Movers

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, June 18, 2010

MORLEY MOVERS left it till late to snatch a 75-70 victory over Hope in Group A of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Led by a balanced attack, three players hit double figures for Morley Movers, powering them to their third victory in five games.

Bernie Toledo topscored for the team with 19 points while Joven Balasta and Ferdinand Lucida each chipped in 14 points in the victory.

Meanwhile, Marcelino Magaan had a game-high of 24 points and Allan Caringal poured in 14 points in a losing effort for Hope.

Hope got off to a flying start and were going through their bigs, Caringal and Magaan, on offence to score from inside the paint.

Hope's slight height advantage made scoring a difficult task for the Morley Movers who trail 15-22 as they head into the second quarter.

It was the same affair in the second period as Hope continued to control the boards at both ends of the floor to keep their lead at 41-34 at halftime.

Hope were trying to go on fastbreaks after the interval but Morley Movers
were always a step ahead on defence to deny them any easy points. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Wildcats burn Fire Eater with emphatic win

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, June 16, 2010

THE GILR Wildcats continued their winning ways with an 88-45 demolition of Fire Eater in Group B of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Following their surprising 100-85 victory over Palm Cafe last Saturday, three players notched double figures in last night's win.

Archie Perez topscored for the team with 14 points while Wawie Ybanez and Erneste Espeque chipped in 11 and 10 points respectively.

On the other hand, McDonald Retuya had the game-high of 16 points to pace Fire Eater and Manny Meridor contributed 12 points in the losing effort.

The GILR Wildcats got off to a better start as they were dominant inside
the paint with their height advantage. Fire Eater would turn to Retuya,
who would put in 10 points for the period, but saw his team down 19-14
heading into the second quarter.

Fire Eater were made to suffer as they only had two substitutes on the bench as the GILR Wildcats switched gears. They were running the floor in numbers while their opponents couldn't catch up on defence.

It was one way traffic with the GILR Wildcats scoring on fastbreaks before opening up a 47-21 advantage at halftime.

It was the same affair in the third stanza with Fire Eater making numerous turnovers. The GILR Wildcats would quickly pass the ball up court and the game was summed up when Ybanez connected on a three-pointer beating the buzzer to put his team in total
control at 66-37 for their second straight win. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Liga Bumiputera down strangers

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Monday, June 14, 2010

Liga Bumiputra are hot on the heels for a semi-finals spot after a close 97-85 win over Hua Ho Strangers in Group B of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Lim Liang Wei topscored for Liga Bumiputera with 32 points and Hj Md Badri Hj Suhaili contributed 18 points in the victory.

Meanwhile Jeff Ojena had a game-high 39 points for the Strangers while Milbert Golo contributed 15 points to a losing effort.

Liga Bumiputera was carrying a 75-58 advantage into the final stanza after a solid defensive effort which forced their opponents to rely on their outside shooting.

The Strangers however caught fire and went on a 13-0 run midway through the period to pull within 84-78 with four minutes to play.

They however failed to put the ball in the basket on several possessions.

The game further slipped away from their fingertips when Ojena fouled out of the game with only two minutes left to play.

"I thought we were lucky because our opponents were shooting blanks towards the end of the game. As far as I'm concerned, so far our victories have come from the sloppiness of our opponents," Wira Pori informed The Brunei Times after the win.

"We managed to hit our shots down the stretch but we have not yet reached our full capability on offence," added Wira.

The competition continues tomorrow with two more games starting at 9pm.

Source: The Brunei Times

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Hoop camp 2010 concludes with Pride and Potentials

HOOP CAMP

Last 6th of June 2010, the official inauguration of the first Basketball School in the Sultanate, HOOP CAMP – Brunei, was held at Fitness Zone, Multi-purpose Hall in Kiulap. The aim of the school is start a breakthrough in the improvement of Basketball as one of the sports played especially among the youth.
(click photo to enlarge) 

Highlighting the events modern and scientific approach in training of the first batch of young people, the participants had the opportunity to learn from a professional and experienced basketball specialist, Ricky Dandan* on the fundamentals of the game. In fact, the very first thing he did was to ask each camper, “What is the most important thing in basketball?” He made sure that each one knows the answer. And according to him, it was the “BALL” itself. Since, the ten players will fight over one single ball in the court.

A good number of campers joined the two hour training sessions that focused on the basics of the game. Coach Ricky showcased the value of how to make a stance position that every good player need. He also stressed very well the handling, dribbling and passing of the ball. In between every instruction and practical application through drills, the campers were given a water break.

The last part culminated by a three on three match-up between participants to enable them to apply whatever they learned and at the same time feel and enjoy the game.

Aside from these, the kids gained on hand a lot of life enhancing skills throughout the training like hard work, perseverance, respect team work and others.

Hoop Camp Brunei First Module was then concluded on the 10th of June 2010 with the awarding of certificates of completion which was awarded by Coach Ricky and Nur Nasyitah Nur Hannah Bte Abdullah, the Marketing Director of Hoop Camp Brunei.

Hoop Camp Brunei will then conduct its second module on the month of September 2010.

* Frederick “Ricky” Dandan,

“HOOP CAMP - PHILIPPINES” Founder,
Program Head for Basketball at the Ateneo De Manila University,
Camp director of the Ateneo Basketball School and Ateneo Junior Basketball Academy, and currently the Assistant Coach of the Coca Cola Tigers in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).

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Ballers wanted for Borneo City Cup

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, June 13, 2010

BRUNEI is set to host the 2010 Borneo City Cup from August 13-15 and
Kevin Reece, the national basketball coach, is calling out all potential
players to attend the tryouts to represent the country.

"I've got a list of players, with assistance from the Brunei Basketball
Association (BBA), which I feel should be invited as they may be unaware
of practice times," said Reece, in an interview with The Brunei Times
yesterday.

"We have kept the door open for some potential players but they have failed to turn up and it is to their advantage for them to come and let us evaluate their skills," he said.

Amongst those 20 listed are former national players, Esmond Tan, Fong Yeh Leong, Lim Aik Hock and Jong Guo Zhang, all of whom are playing under the name of  Plaza Sutera Biru in local tournaments.

"This is the last chance but if they do come they will have to fit into the system and it's going to be a lot of work. What's important is the consistency from the players for what the coaches need," said Reece.

"We're hoping to get this to work so that we will get a team ready to prepare for the said tournament so that we can make Brunei respectable in basketball," he added.

When asked if he was doing a revamp for the current national squad, Reece replied: "We're bringing up some younger players at this stage and some of them are not quite ready yet. Development is amarathon and not a sprint but we'll slowly see improvements."

The basketball coach currently runs his training on Tuesdays at the
Multipurpose Hall (MPH) of the Hassanal Bolkiah National Sports Complex in Berakas from 7-9pm. Wednesday and Friday sessions are held at the BBA court from 7.30pm to 9.30pm. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Sharks swallow Palm Muara United

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Sunday, June 13, 2010

THE match between two unbeaten teams certainly lived up to its billing last night as the Sharks prevailed over Palm Muara United with a 91-88 victory to remain the only unbeaten team left in the 2nd Queenielin's Cup.

Sharks, who hit 10 treys, was led by a balancedattack, with four of their players scoring into double figures.

Aries Castro top scored for Sharks by pouring in 31 points. Apollo Bibat and Dania Ong each contributed 12 points and Elvin Requintin chipped in 11 points in the victory.

Meanwhile, Don Mordeno scored a game-high of 40 points to pace Palm Muara United in a losing effort.

Both teams got off to a high intensity start, exchanging baskets with the
scoreboard reading 9-10 in favour of Palm Muara United.

Sharks however managed to pull off a 10-0 run in the next few minutes by going on the break before capping it off with a three-point buzzer beater by Marlon Cruz to put his team up 27-19, heading into the second quarter.

Palm Muara United were controlling the boards but Sharks clamped down on defence in the paint to prevent any easy baskets.

On the other hand, Palm Muara United failed to cover the passing lanes, allowing Sharks to penetrate into the rack. Sharks had opened up a double-digit lead at 35-25 midway through the period but Palm Muara United would counter with their own 10-1 run led by Mordeno's eight points to pull within 38-37 at halftime.

Mordeno was carrying his team on offence but Sharks would not be put down as they rained in a barrage of threes.

In addition to this, they were driving to the hoop just to dish out to open teammates for easy points to end the third stanza with a 71-62 cushion. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times | photo: Yee Chun Leong

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KB to host Under 23

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 12, 2010

BRUNEI'S hoopsters will have another cause for celebration as the
Kuala Belait Basketball Association prepares to stage the Under-23
basketball tournament next month at the Kg Baru basketball court in
Seria.

Held in conjunction with His Majesty the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam's 64th Birthday celebrations, the competition is slated July 6 and is open to players with a valid Brunei identity card.

Wong Ming Ching, the chairman of the organising committee, said that they are expecting teams from all districts to register for the competition.

Interested parties can collect their entry forms from Wong Wah Seng, a shop located in Seria. Completed entry forms must be returned to the organising committee on or before June 26. More information can be obtained by calling Wong through the number 3228686/8758873 or Mr Liew at 8744168.

Source: The Brunei Times

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Big man Mundo too much for Gills Sport

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 12, 2010

URDAN EXPRESS easily picked up their third victory of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup with a 88-55 demolition of Gills Sport Express in Group A on Thursday night.

Playing at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat, Roldan Binas scored a game-high 16 points for Urdan Express while Crisanto Zamora led Gills Sports Express with 14 points to a losing cause.

Gills Sport Express got off to a hot start by connecting on their first three baskets.

Urdan Express were however rushing their shots and throwing away possessions via sloppy passes.

Urdan Express sat out Mark Del Mundo, their 6ft 4in centre, and Gills Sport Express took advantage of the situation by driving into the paint for easy points to lead 18-11 into the second quarter.

Gills Sport Express had been dominating the boards but Mundo's substitution in the second period turned the game around.

Urdan Express, now sporting a height advantage, ran their offence through their lengthy big man whom Gills Sport Express had no answer for as they could no longer get their shots off in the paint.

Gills Sport Express were limited to only eight points in the quarter which resulted in a 32-26 Urdan Express lead at halftime.

Urdan Express also took advantage of Gills Sport Express's lack of substitutes by incorporating all of their players in their substitution rotations.

Gills Sport Express only had two substitutes for the entire game. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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All Hope is lost despite win

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, June 11, 2010

HOPE finally picked up their first victory in the 2nd Queenielin's Cup scoring a 90-80 win over Shun Wei in Group A at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat last night.

Four players hit double figures for Hope with Allan Caringal leading with 29 points. Benjo Ramos contributed 22 points and Jeff Paraiso poured in 20 points while Arnold Buan chipped in 10 points in the victory.

On the other hand, Sonny Bautista had the game-high of 37 points for Shun Wei while George Castaneda and Frederick Coronel each chipped in 10 points to a losing cause.

Hope got off to a good start and were sharing the ball to find the open man for easy twos.

On the other hand, Shun Wei were delivering the ball to Bautista to get the points from the paint, but trailed 17-22 heading into the second
quarter.

It was the same affair in the second stanza as Shun Wei
had difficulty getting back on defence.

Hope were exploiting the situation by going on fastbreaks. Caringal was the top hitman by posting up his defender to put in 10 points for the period and extend their advantage to 50-33 at halftime.

Paraiso was up to his usual tricks by penetrating the basket for points. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Liga Bumiputera beat Fire Eater to boost semis bid

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Liga Bumiputera picked up their second straight win last night to
stay in contention for a semi-final slot in Group B of the 2nd  Queenielin's Cup.

With four players scoring in double figures, Liga Bumiputera demolished Fire Eater 91-55 at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Lim Liang Wei and Khoo Chin Kai topscored for Liga Bumiputera with 13 points each while Md Azrani Hamzah and Faizuladzmi Tajuddin finished with 12 points apiece.

On the other hand, Arnold Patricio had a game-high of 15 points for Fire
Eater and McDonald Retuya scored 13 points to a losing cause.

It was much of an equally contested affair from the opening buzzer as both teams were playing at the same intensity, running up and down the court but it was Liga Bumiputera that stuck out 14-11 heading into the second period.

Liga Bumiputera picked up the slack in the second quarter with a full court pressure defence which their opponents failed to press break. They were limited to only seven points for the stanza that saw them trail 18-39 at halftime.

Everything was going right for Liga Bumiputera as they were on a rampage by penetrating the Fire Eater defence for easy baskets. They were unloading their bench while Fire Eater were suffering with only three substitutes. Fire Eater were making poor decisions on passes leading to fastbreak points for Liga Bumiputera and the game was over with the scoreline at 66-36 going into the final quarter.

"It was a good win especially that our coach (Maxim Yap) is not around. I'm happy with the win but not thoroughly satisfied as I believe the team is capable of more but we should be able to develop over time," said Wira Pori, the manager of Liga Bumiputera, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the triumph.

"But it was good to experiment with our lineups and getting our bench involved. This will allow us to have a second unit that can play at the same intensity while the starters are resting," added Wira.

Tomorrow's matches will pit Hope against Shun Wei at 9pm and Urdan Express against Gills Sport Express also in Group A at 10.30pm.

Source: The Brunei Times

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Legendary John Wooden dead at 99

By Jeff Eisenberg, Yahoo! Sports

Swing open the door to John Wooden’s tiny two-bedroom condominium, and first thing that stands out is that there’s hardly any room to walk amid the clutter.

Piles of items awaiting autographs occupy the living room table. Stacks of poetry anthologies, baseball books and Abraham Lincoln biographies litter the shelves. And enshrouding every inch of wall space are dozens of photos, some of Wooden’s late wife Nell and his extended family and others of the legendary basketball teams he coached.

As his colorful condo suggests, college basketball’s most iconic coach lived a remarkably full life, from his all-American playing days at Purdue, to his success on the bench at UCLA, to his 53-year marriage to his high school sweetheart. He died at UCLA Medical Center on Friday four months shy of his 100th birthday, leaving behind an unparalleled legacy highlighted by a record-setting 88-game win streak, four undefeated seasons and 10 national titles from 1964 to 1975.

Even after abruptly retiring following his last championship, Wooden remained relevant as an author and motivational speaker, mentor to younger coaches. Only after his failing health confined him to a wheelchair the past couple years did he finally stop attending games at Pauley Pavilion in his customary seat two rows behind the UCLA bench.

Wooden was hospitalized several times the past few years, suffering a broken left wrist and collarbone in a fall at his home in March 2008 and then overcoming a month-long bout of pneumonia nearly a year later. He remained as sharp and perceptive as ever during most of those medical woes, but former UCLA star Marques Johnson said Wooden’s condition deteriorated the past few weeks.

“From a selfish standpoint, you’d love to see him live as long as possible, hit 100 at least,” Johnson said. “But after spending a couple hours with him two weeks ago and seeing how he was struggling, reclined in his easy chair and nodding in and out, I felt it would be selfish on our part to want him to stay around just to hit that milestone. He was never about numbers, in life or in basketball. It was always about the quality of effort.”

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Source: Rivals.com | photo: (Chris Carlson/AP Photos)

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Hoop Camp Brunei To Provide Youths Basketball Training

Bandar Seri Begawan - Hoop Camp Brunei, a modern scientific basketball fundamental training school will soon be available in the Sultanate.

The co-founders, Mr Ricky Dandan said, "This is the first-ever scientific basketball training school in Brunei, with its mission is to provide the youths of Brunei, an accessible and free venue for the involvement in the sports of basketball school.

Hoop Camp - Brunei will create an environment that will encourage and promote real values that are intrinsic in sports participation.

According to Coach Ricky Dandan, Assistant Coach of Coca-Cola Tigers of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), who also happens to be the key player of Hoop Camp Brunei, training schedule of the First Module will start from June 6 to 10, from 8.30am to 11 am at Fitness Zone multi-purpose hall in Kiulap.

William "Bogs" Adornado, who is a veteran in basketball and who is currently the Assistant Coach of Philippine Patriots 2010 and Asean Basketball League will also be one of the coaches. Hoop Camp Brunei is open to five age-group divisions.

Piccolo Division is offered to children aged between six and eight years old. Participants will undergo drills games that will introduce and improve the necessary motor skills needed to play the game on a very basic level.

Those aged from nine to 12 years old may join the Mini Beginners. Aside from the motor skills, participants in this level will also undergo drills to teach them the basic techniques of catching, passing, dribbling, ball handling and the mechanics of lay-ups and shooting.

For those who have minimal experiences in playing basketball can join the Mini-Intermediate. Team play shall be introduced at this level, with drills to improve individual skills as well as agility and coordination. More advanced individual skills instructions, suitable for this age level shall also be included.

Contender Cross-over is for those 13 to 15 years of age. Individualised instruction on position specific skills as well as team play will be emphasised in this division. In contender intermediate, drills and games shall be more intense and highly competitive.

For High Schoolers, ages between 16 and 18, who wish to undergo competitive varsity-type training can enrol in the Youth Division.

For any inquiries contact Dyg Nasyitah at 8780514, Fitness Zone at 2233338, Antonio Ramcham at 8805751, Roger at 8835158 and Faridah Goh at 8692075. --

Courtesy of Borneo Bulletin

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Urdan shatter Hope's dreams

BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Saturday, June 5, 2010

There is no Hope for treble

URDAN EXPRESS shattered Hope's dreams of clinching a treble after stealing a 72-68 victory from their opponents on Thursday night in Group A of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Buboy Yu had the game-high of 23 points for Urdan Express and Mark del Mundo contributed 19 points in the victory.

On the other hand, Marcelino Magaan and Benjo Ramos each scored 22 points for Hope, who are winless in three games.

Hope couldn't get anything going and were lacklustre in the opening period that saw them trail 13-19 heading into the second quarter.

However, they pulled their socks up in the second period by attacking the paint. This gave them the lead, going into halftime at 30-28.

The match then turned into a del Mundo and Yu show with the scoreboard reading 38-36 to Urdan Express. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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BMW flame Fire Eater

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Friday, June 4, 2010

BMW proved that defence wins games with a 69-51 victory over Fire Eater in Group B of 2nd Queenielin's Cup last night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Vincent Superio had a game-high for BMW with 20 points and Walter Ruiz chipped in with 10 in their second straight victory.

On the other hand, Alfredo Paris was the only player that notched double figures for Fire Eater with 10 points to a losing cause.

Both teams started out equally as BMW were shorthanded with half of the team missing in action.

Fire Eater were trying to exploit the situation as much as possible but
could only tie the scores at 16-16 heading into the second quarter.

It was the same affair in the second stanza as neither could break ahead
and they remained deadlocked at 32 apiece at halftime.

However, BMW picked up the slack when more players arrived after the interval. They improved on the defensive end to make steals to go on fastbreaks.

Superio was his usual self and would draw a crowd each time he touched the ball.

But the guard was relying on his speed by streaking behind the Fire Eater defence that saw him put in eight points for the quarter.

Fire Eater were trying to execute from inside the paint but bore no fruit as
BMW opened up a 51-43 advantage going into the final period.

Neither team could get any rhythm going on offence in the fourth period as they were committing various turnovers. It never looked like Fire Eater
could mount a comeback with BMW putting up a tenacious defence.

BMW weren't playing well and only managed three field goals for the whole stanza but it was their free throws that put the game to bed. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Sharks demolish Gills Sports in Queenielin Cup

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Thursday, June 3, 2010

SHARKS are proving themselves to be championship contenders with a 91-53 demolition of Gills Sports Express in Group A of the 2nd Queenielin's Cup on Tuesday night at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat.

Hot coming off an 87-71 victory over Hope last Tuesday, three players notched double figures in the match for Sharks. Aries Castro had the game-high of 26 points to lead the Sharks while Danial Ong contributed 15 points, all coming from three-point territory and Phang Seng chipped in 12 points in the victory.

On the other hand, Adrian Abalos topscored for Gills Sports Express with 20 points and Crisanto Zamdra poured in 10 points to a losing cause.

It was an equally contested affair in the opening period with Castro and
Abalos being the go-to-man for their respective teams. Castro would
finish with 12 points while Abalos with 10 in the first quarter that saw
the scores at 26-18 heading into the second period.

It was the same story in the second stanza but Sharks were utilising their bench. They were in control of the boards with their height and size advantage as well and managed to extend their lead to 40-25 at halftime.

Playtime was over after the interval as Sharks came out playing full court
pressure defence. Gills Sports Express had no solution to press break as
they opponents notched up their points from fastbreaks. The game looked
over with the scoreboard reading 63-38 going into the final quarter. Gills Sports Express never had a chance to mount a comeback as Sharks
never let up and that saw them cruise to their second straight victory. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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Khoo breathes life into Liga Bumiputera in dying seconds

Yee Chun Leong
BANDAR SERI BEGAWAN

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

KHOO CHIN KAI's go ahead three-pointer with 15 seconds to go powered Liga Bumiputera to a 60-58 victory over Al-Ssarah Eagles in Group B of the Second Queenielin's Cup at the Brunei Basketball Association court in Batu Bersurat last night.

Boasting several national cagers on the squad, Lim Liang Wei put in a game-high of 30 points for Liga Bumiputera while Khoo chipped in with 13 points in the win. On the other hand, Allan Talanay topscored for the Al-Ssarah Eagles with 26 points in a losing effort.

It was see-saw battle right from the beginning of the fourth stanza with the scores reading 43-37 in favour of the Eagles. Liga Bumiputera started out strong with five straight points to reduce the deficit. However, the Eagles were dominating the boards with their height advantage for second chance points but it remained deadlocked at 50-50 midway through the period.

The Eagles were playing good defence on making steals off their opponents and going on fastbreaks for their points. The game looked like it was going to drift away from Liga Bumiputera as they were making unforced turnovers. Talanay had put the Eagles in front with two freethrows with 24 seconds to go at 58-57 after Lim converted on a three-point play in the previous possession. The Eagles would double team on Lim on the next play but Khoo was left open as he took the game-winning shot for his team's first win.

"I didn't think much about it and just took it as a normal shot. I had a good feeling about it after it left my hands with a good touch," said Khoo, in an interview with The Brunei Times, after the triumph. Read More...

Source: The Brunei Times

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