Maba to get serious in promoting 3-on-3 basketball

PETALING JAYA: The Malaysia Basketball Association (Maba) are ready to take on a more active role in promoting 3x3 basketball.

This is following the promising showing by the national juniors at the 3x3 Under-18 Asia Cup in Cyberjaya over the weekend.

The girls’ team of Chow Pui Yee, Foo Suet Ying, Lim Jing Zhe and Yap Siew Hong enjoyed a superb run. They stunned defending champions Japan in the quarter-finals en route to a historic silver-medal finish. They lost 6-13 to Indonesia in the final.

The boys – Low Ken Yen, Thea Zhong Shin, Phan Wee Chen and Maegen Mahadevan – also had a fine outing. They defeated Kazakhstan and second seeds the Philippines in the preliminary stages before losing 11-22 to Lebanon in the last eight.

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) have started to regulate 3x3 in recent years. They have the 3x3 rankings system and a men and women’s World Cup and the Under-18 championships for boys and girls since 2011.

And Maba president Datuk Lua Choon Hann believes the national body have to step up especially since the 3x3 will be a medal sport in the Asian Games for the first time in Jakarta next year.

“We need to push forward in promoting 3x3 alongside the traditional 5x5 game,” said Choon Hann.

“There is also a strong possibility the 3x3 may be included in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

“That’s why we need to be well prepared. We will launch a national 3x3 circuit.

“I’m looking to start it off at state level and then a grand final that coincides with the Agong Cup National Championships in December,” he added.