Dato Tony Fernandes is confident that the ASEAN Basketball League will change the sporting landscape of the region.

By Vincent Lai

The ABL chairman was on hand to launch Southeast Asia's new basketball league in Makati City in Metro Manila, and said that if the new competition was successful, the effect may cascade into the other sports of the 600-million inhabited side of Asia.

"If we are successful with the ABL, there are many other sports that can be launched with this format that ASEAN would benefit from, with tennis and even Formula One," said Fernandes in an interview after the launch. "But today's basketball's day, and in years to come, if ASEAN sports is transformed, which it will be, we will all look back to this day and say ‘it was basketball that first did it'."

"I think it's a very big day for ASEAN sport. The region's sport has been languishing, let's be real. A lot of money has gone into it, a lot of effort, but we've not a lot to show for it in the world stage."

"In football, we used to compete with Korea and Japan and do well, but we've languished, so leagues have to relooked at and, hopefully, getting the excitement back into ASEAN sports," added Dato Tony. "Can we be competitive? I really believe we can."

"In the youth level, when I took teams from Malaysia to play Manchester United, they beat the United youth team. Somewhere between youth and professional level, we lose it."

"Maybe it's the competition, maybe it's the lack of competition, maybe it's the lack of quality competition, and hopefully basketball can provide one access and maybe others will come, like football."

The Air Asia founder was also optimistic that the League could expand to twenty teams in three years, but did say that a lot of hard work lay ahead for the newly formed competition.

"A year ago, some people asked ‘can you set up an ASEAN League', and to do it in a year, I'm sure that there would have been a lot of doubts," said Fernandes. "Proof is in the pudding, and when I started AirAsia, everybody asked ‘can you last three months?' I said I didn't know, but one must have targets, and I think ASEAN can certainly have twenty teams, if you look at the size of the region."

"So, let's see, we'll work towards it. Don't want to make too many predictions, let's get it off the ground. Let's get people wanting to watch it."

"The rest is easy."

The Dato then went into the specifics of the ABL, from how much each owner put into the league to each country's situation basketball-wise.

"Each team owner has at least put in a million dollars," said the former managing director of Warner Music Malaysia. "And we at the league have put in two million to get this going. A lot of time, and a lot of heart. And it's very worthwhile coming here today and seeing what we're seeing."

"It's amazing to see six ASEAN countries coming together with the vision of setting up the league. One very senior, the Philippines, and the rest closely catching up. I think Indonesia and Singapore will be the next two and then Malaysia, Brunei and Thailand hot on their heels."

"So it's very exciting with the ‘we're going to help you' et cetera et cetera, I don't think that help will last too long," joked Dato Tony.

The Air Asia Group CEO then turned his attention back to the broader spectrum of regional sports, saying that other sporting-events in the region could benefit from the ABL season.

"This will wake up a lot of people, I think [president of ABC5] Mr. Tony Cojuangco's speech was very poignant," continued Fernandes. "Why did someone from outside of basketball and outside of the Philippines come up with this idea?"

"And I think that there will be many more ideas now. So you'd say ‘if that guy can do it, let's try to do it in Formula One, in football.' Football is crying out for it."

"The only exciting football in ASEAN is the Tiger Cup," said the Slingers chairman. "There isn't anything else to get anyone off their butt and into a stadium. It just takes one person with idea, and then, it will cascade."

"I'm very optimistic that there will be many other championships in ASEAN of a professional nature that are well-run, well-funded and well-supported."

Finally, Dato Tony did not forget the fans, telling those present what supporters of the new teams could expect from the ABL.

"I think fans can look forward to tough competition, high standard of play, exciting competitions at half-time, audience participation, and a chance to travel to watch sport," said Fernandes. "You know, when I grew up, I spent a lot of time in England, and we'll be excited to go off to Manchester at the weekend to watch the world's greatest team in the world, West Ham play."

"Previously where do we go regionally to support our team?"

"Now we can!"

"From Singapore we can go up to Manila and see the Slingers versus the Patriots, go to KL to watch them play the Dragons, go to Jakarta, and for the first time, you can have [regional] fan-clubs."

"Travelling fan clubs going to watch the games. So, not only am I talking about games in Singapore, but I think fans can be part of a club and travel around ASEAN to support their teams throughout the season."