Singapore Slingers – The New Show In Town

Team Poised For Philips Championship Kick-Off Match in September 2006

Singapore – Basketball Enterprises Pte. Ltd, today launched the Singapore Slingers, the first professional basketball team based in South East Asia.

The team recently won the right to play in the National Basketball League’s (NBL) Philips Championship after negotiations with league stakeholders and the Federation Internationale de Basketball (FIBA) to be the first team outside the Oceania zone to be awarded a license.

Aptly named the Singapore Slingers, the team will play in the 12-team NBL, which now covers two continents with teams in New Zealand, Australia and Singapore. Playing a full home schedule of 15 games from September 2006 through to March 2007, the Singapore Slingers will be based at the Singapore Indoor Stadium (SIS) and will compete with every team in the league for the Philips Championship title.

The Singapore Slingers will have the honour of opening the Philips Championship season on 20 September 2006 when they host the Adelaide 36ers at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

Mr Bob Turner, Managing Director of Basketball Enterprises remarked, “I am proud to unveil the Singapore Slingers, a Singapore-based NBL Team. A labour of love, the insignia for this team draws heavily on Singapore’s heritage as Singapura or the Lion City.”

“With this in mind, the Singapore Tourism Board (STB) has recently given us permission to use a Merlion mascot to represent team spirit and as ambassador for both the team and Singapore in home and away matches.”

“In Singapore, the Singapore Slingers will be the key driving force to position basketball as the top participation sport and most exciting spectator event in the region. The Singapore Slingers’ commitment extends to the development of the Singapore National Team, Singapore Juniors and basketball through schools islandwide, which will ensure the long term growth and success of the game.”

“With the announcement of the player lineup for the 2006/2007 season, we are also proud to introduce head coach, Mr Gordon McLeod. One of Australia’s most respected coaches, ‘Gordie’ will lead the team programme to position The Singapore Slingers as a key challenger in the NBL Philips Championship and to direct the development of Singapore’s national talent,” said Mr Turner.

“We can think of no one more qualified than Gordon McLeod to lead the Singapore Slingers," he continued.

Gordon McLeod was previously the manager, coach, and Director of Player Development of the New Zealand Basketball Federation. He was coach of the Australian Junior Men's team and also coach of West Sydney Razorbacks, the senior professional men's team of the NBL.

The NBL Philips Championship is regarded as one of the premier basketball leagues in the world, and after a humble beginning, is today home to some of the world's best players. The NBL has grown from a fledgling competition with games played in front of just a few hundred people to a league that attracts more than 750,000 spectators each season, as well as prime-time television audiences for games broadcast ‘live’ in Australia and New Zealand.

President of BAS, Wee Siew Kim, said, “I am sure that through participation in the NBL Philips Championship, The Singapore Slingers will be an impetus for the next stage of development of basketball. BAS is very supportive of this new venture and looks forward to working with the Singapore Slingers on the development of both national talent and participation in basketball for the benefit of spectators and players.”

Chairman of Singapore Sports Council (SSC), Mr Alex Chan, remarked, “The formation of the first ever Singapore-based NBL professional basketball team licence offers exciting prospects for Sporting Singapore. The local players, coaches and officials will gain valuable experience and exposure playing and working alongside their Australian counterparts.”

“The local basketball scene at the schools and grassroots level will thrive with the outreach programs and the wave of popularity generated by the build up and publicity of the team. The local sports industry will receive a significant boost with the transfer of knowledge and expertise in the areas of sport business, sports entertainment and marketing.”

“SIS will provide consultancy services to the team in the area of branding communications, event management and logistics support. This is indeed an exciting sports business proposition for Sporting Singapore. We are all eagerly looking forward to the start of the 2006-7 NBL season in September.”

“The long-term success of the Singapore Slingers is of vital importance to the NBL and we are especially pleased to see the likes of Bob Turner and Gordie McLeod, who have wealth of experience in our league, involved in setting up the team.”

“Starting a pro sports franchise from scratch is never easy, let alone setting one up on a whole new continent, but we believe the Slingers have started out on the right foot and we're especially excited by the opportunity to expand the Philips Championship into Asia,” said Mr Rick Burton, Commissioner of the NBL.

“Philips is glad to be part of the growth of the NBL as they expand beyond Australia into the region. We have a great partnership in Australia and we hope to build the same here in Singapore,” commented Mr Mourad Mankarios, CEO of Philips Singapore.

The Singapore Slingers aims to provide spectators and basketball enthusiasts with an exciting and unforgettable programme of ‘live’ sports entertainment in Singapore and an opportunity to support a team that is destined to dominate the league.

About Singapore Slingers

The Singapore Slingers is a professional basketball team based in Singapore and licensed to play in the National Basketball League (NBL). The team is owned and operated by Basketball Enterprises Pte. Ltd., a privately funded, Singapore registered company led by sports entrepreneur and NBL Hall of Famer, Bob Turner.

The NBL awarded the Singapore Slingers the license to play in the NBL after negotiations with FIBA to extend the reach of the league into Asia via transfer of an existing license from the Hunter Pirates. The team comprises an international line-up of 12 players including 8 seasoned Australians, Americans and Singaporeans.

The team will play 15 home matches in the 2006/2007 NBL Philips Championship as anchor tenant at the Singapore Indoor Stadium and will train alongside the Singapore National Squad at the Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS) National Basketball Centre in Geylang East.

The team will be coached by Gordon McLeod with a track record as one of the NBL’s most respected coach/motivators. The team aims to compete at the top of the NBL providing Singapore fans and players with a fresh perspective on professional sport.

About National Basketball League

The National Basketball League (NBL) was formed in 1979 and features 12 teams based in Australia, New Zealand and - as of the 2006/07 season - Singapore. Teams compete for the Dr. John Raschke Trophy and the competition is known as the Philips Championship.

It is regarded as one of the premier basketball leagues in the world, and has been home to some of the world's best basketballers including former NBA players Andrew Gaze, Shane Heal and Chris Anstey. Games are shown live on television in Australia on Fox Sports and in New Zealand on Sky Sports and have regularly been seen throughout Asia on ESPN Star.

Each team plays 32 regular season games (16 home and 16 away) with the top eight clubs qualifying for the Philips Championship Finals. For more information on the NBL, visit the official NBL website.

About Singapore Indoor Stadium (SIS)

A premier facility of the Singapore Sports Council, the Stadium was designed by world-renowned Japanese architect Kenzo Tange and built at a cost of S$90 million. It was officially opened by then Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew on December 31, 1989.

With its distinctive Shinto-inspired roof, the Singapore Indoor Stadium has become one of the country's landmark buildings and an entertainment icon internationally.

Through the years, it has witnessed some of the greatest moments in entertainment and sporting history. It hosted the likes of Andy Lau, Whitney Housten, the Rolling Stones, MTV Asia Awards, AIDA, Riverdance, Walt Disney's World on Ice, The Great Moscow Circus and the International Indian Film Academy Awards, Tiger 5s Futsal and the Yonex Sunrise Badminton Championship among others.

Function rooms are also available for seminars, meetings, product launches, as well as corporate and private receptions.

A lifestyle concept riverfront attraction was also launched in 2001 to complement the Singapore Indoor Stadium in providing a total entertainment experience for visitors. Stadium Waterfront, tucked along the Kallang River, delivers a slick rustic sensibility that’s surprisingly at ease in its urban environment.

The bay front getaway offers an oasis of savoury offerings to dedicated gastronomes, that plays second fiddle only to the spectacular views of the Tanjong Rhu skyline.