SEPANG: The Malaysian basketball camp is concerned that its mission bring home the gold medal from the Cambodia SEA Games may be thwarted by other nations who have roped in naturalised players.
As such, national women’s team manager Ch’ng Eng Hing admitted that Malaysia would need to follow in the footsteps of the other Southeast Asian countries by securing the services of naturalised cagers to compete on a level playing field at the next biennial Games.
“Most countries, like the Philippines, Indonesia and even (SEA Games hosts) Cambodia, I hear that there are (already) naturalised players. So, I think that presents a challenge for (us now) to compete with them.
“This year, we do not have naturalised players but we (will) have them for the 2025 SEA Games in Thailand.
“Let’s hope we can secure naturalised players and we also need to have a plan in place for this,” he told reporters at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (KLIA 2) before the team left for Cambodia today.
Eng Hing, however, said the absence of naturalised players will not be used as an excuse for the national cagers not to give their best.
“At the last SEA Games in Hanoi, Vietnam, we won bronze in the women’s event, so this time we hope to be able to advance into the semi-finals and win a medal,” he said.
The women’s basketball squad will open the curtain for the 3x3 event in Group B against hosts Cambodia, Indonesia and Singapore on Saturday (May 6).
For the team event, Malaysia will meet Cambodia on May 9, Singapore (May 10), Indonesia (May 11), Vietnam (May 12), Thailand (May 13) and the Philippines (May 15) in Group A.
The national men’s team are in Group B will meet Singapore, Thailand and Cambodia in the 3x3 event on Saturday (May 6).
As for the team event, the men will open their Group A campaign against the Philippines on May 9, followed by Singapore (May 11) and hosts Cambodia (May 13). - Bernama