Kelantan Warriors and Bintulu Eagles join forces

PETALING JAYA: Two basketball clubs have joined forces for the Malaysia Pro League (MPL) challenge.

The Kelantan Warriors, winners of the now defunct Malaysian National Basketball League in 2013, have teamed up with East Malaysian outfit Bintulu Eagles to form a new team – the PRG Eagles.

The Eagles are not just aiming to win the title, they are also in it for the long haul.

“The idea of setting up this club is to take care of the players by signing them on long-term deals thus providing them with stable incomes,” said team owner Datuk Joseph Lee.

“We want them to focus on their basketball careers and not worry about the financial part.

“In a way, we are setting up the club in the mould of KL Dragons.

“And we’re not just looking at the MPL. This is just a stepping stone for us. We are also looking at more tournaments outside the country,” added Joseph.

And the Eagles may even become the second Malaysian team in the Asean Basketball League (ABL) alongside Westports Malaysia Dragons.

But for now, the team under Filipino coach Britt Renoma, are focused on making a good impression in the MPL.

The Eagles are certainly not short of talented players with seasoned national players Ma Chee Kheun, Choo Wei Hong, Yim Shen Hao, Chin Zhi Shin and Ryan Liaw on their payroll.

They have also snapped up several promising youngsters – Heng Yee Tong, Ong Wei Yong, Yek Liang Chuan and Thea Zhong Shin.

To beef up the squad they have signed two Americans

This is just a stepping stone for us. Datuk Joseph Lee