ESPNSTAR.com's Vincent Lai reports the latest from the ASEAN Basketball League launch in Makati City, Manila.

And the ABL tipped off, with plenty of pizzazz at the Renaissance Hotel in Metro Manila on September 2, 2009.

In between the ASEAN camaraderie and the flashing bulbs of the numerous photographers present to capture the event, some facts were made known to the media.

For the uninformed, each ABL team will be fielding seven local players, three ASEAN imports (with one needing just ASEAN heritage to qualify), and two international imports. Teams do not have to field ASEAN imports if they have the additional three local players they are satisfied that can perform just as well, like the Patriots of the Phillipines.

A significant point was made at the press conference and that is the salary cap has been set at US$400,000 per season, with the top import being set to be paid in the region of US$100,000. The second top import's salary will be set at US$50,000, with the remaining players splitting the salary amount left according to their discretion.

Teams have confirmed that they will hold tryouts for their two youth developments squads for each team that will work out with the senior squad and development coaches at the Under-15 and Under-17 levels like an academy. They will not travel like the senior team to play games home and away, but will congregate in an ASEAN League hometown once a year to play a tournament in the span of two to three weeks.

As for the officiating, the League will be fielding FIBA officials to call the games, giving regional referees a chance to also improve with the new Southeast Asian tournament in place.

Games in the ABL are set to be refereed by neutral crews from outside the host country to ensure a level of fairness to the teams. So, if a game is being played in Singapore, we might have referees from the Philippines, Thailand and Indonesia manning the whistle.

Finally, the ASEAN Basketball League is aiming to expand to twenty teams in three years, to have more than one team in certain countries such as Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines while teams from Vietnam have also been requesting to enter the ABL for the next season.

The ABL is all set to tip off early October.