Segamat.com

From Bernama

SEGAMAT, Dec 24 (Bernama) -- The Agong's Cup, the Malaysian Basketball Association's (MABA) premier competition, will see a new format for the first time next year.

MABA has decided to introduce a two-tier competition, Division One and Division Two, for both the women's and the men's categories, in a bid to give the tournament a lifeline.

The decline in standards of a vast majority of the competing teams in recent years has prompted MABA to take a new approach, which hopefully will arrest the slide.

So from next year onwards in the 53rd edition of the tournament, the competition will see only six teams in the first division with the rest going into Division Two.

This will result in only six teams in the elite division being eligible to have a crack at the crown with the rest having to fight their way through the promotion or relegation battle.

The six teams in the first division will play each other in a round robin series with the top four advancing into the semi-finals, leaving the bottom two to fight it out with the top two in the second division to decide who get promoted or relegated.

According to MABA secretary-general Sim Sin Heng, the new format for the Agong's Cup next year would, hopefully, give Malaysian basketball the boost it needed to lift the overall standard of play.

"At the recent MABA Exco meeting in Melaka, the issue of the declining standards in the Agong's Cup of recent years was discussed at length.

"We have teams which are so weak and just get steamrolled over, making a mockery of the competition.

"So what do we do. The two-division system seems an ideal solution so as not to have lopsided matches. It means if you are not good enough to challenge the stronger teams than you stay in the lower division, improve yourself and come back stronger.

"So maybe the new format will spur the weaker teams to do well and also keep an eye on the so-called stronger teams so that they will keep improving and stay in Division One to have a shot at the Agong's Cup,"said Sim.

The six teams who have qualified for Division One next year, based on the standing of the current competition now underway at the Segamat Basketball stadium, are the four semi-finalists in the men's competition, Johor, Melaka, Selangor, Perak and the two third placed teams in the second round matches, Malaysian Police and Penang.

The women's competition will have Johor, Perak, Malacca and Selangor, the four semi-finalists with Pahang and Kuala Lumpur, joining them next year.

"We want the best for the competition and also we want to see Malaysian basketball improve.

"And having a competitive local competition is one sure way of achieving our target," added Sim.