'Basketball no money'
It was a pleasant surprise meeting with a former national basketball player while having lunch at the famous Yong Tau Foo restaurant in the heart of Pudu yesterday. Immediately after exchanging pleasantries with the player, who is now part of the national team coaching staff, the conversation naturally went to the national basketball scene. "We are preparing for the (year-end) SEA Games (in Myanmar). Other than that it is a quiet year," the coach said. "Sadly, we are really tight with funds. Basketball has no money...no funding." What about the Petronas deal, I asked. "Petronas is only sponsoring the junior programme. The senior teams (men and women) are left to scout for their own funding." Just before I left, I assured the former player-who-turned-coach that I will visit Maba House soon. Petronas has been pumping in money since the Rakan Sukan programme in the 1990s. While the programme is no longer in existence, the oil giants have con...