Wednesday, 28 March 2012 11:48
Perak is hosting the first Sultan Azlan Shah Cup- International Invitation Basketball Tournament from March 27 to April 4 at Indera Mulia Stadium in Ipoh.
Eight teams from Singapore, Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines, China, Australia, Taiwan and Malaysia, represented by the Perak Selection team, are battling for the title as the inaugural champions for the tournament.
Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, officiated the tournament during a ceremony which was also attended by Perak Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir, State Secretary, Datuk Abdul Puhat Nayan and State Executive Councilor of Youth and Sports, Datuk Zainol Fadzi Paharuddin.
At its opening ceremony yesterday, nearly 1,000 spectators witnessed a tough game between the Perak Selection and Taiwan team, which eventually was won 33-31 by the host.
The tournament is organised by the Basketball Association of Perak and Ipoh was chosen as venue to help elevate the city’s image as well as that of Perak globally.
The event is also expected to attract more tourists to the state and help make Visit Perak Year 2012 a greater success.
In addition, it would also present a platform to discover new talents from all participating countries for the future of basketball sports.
