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Aljunied Kembangan CSC Women’s Basketball Team

Aljunied Kembangan CSC Women’s Basketball Club >> The 2005 Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) championship was clinched by none other than the all time favorite Aljunied Kembangan CSC Women’s Basketball Club.

This marked the third consecutive championship title it has clinched in its history. ljunied Kembangan CSC Basketball Club has been established for the 6th year running since 2000. Six years would have been considered short by the standards of most basketball clubs today.

However its potential for growth is fanned by the passion of its women’s team players and team manager, Steven Loo, who has always tirelessly canvassed for sponsorships to keep the team going. This certainly made the team one of the most recognised

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basketball clubs in Singapore.

Backed by its ever supportive MP, Dr Ong She Hong, the club has been training regularly and earning incentive trips overseas as a reward to the players for their hard work and effort.

So what makes this team different from the other basketball clubs in Singapore?

The answer can be summed up in one word, ‘Passion’. When the Aljunied Women’s Club was first formed in 2000, it consisted of players coming mainly from a previous club which had

disbanded. There were many organisational changes led by the team’s former captain, Chiew Poh Leng. Together with the help of Mr Loo, they managed to get the team going again and clinched its first gold in the WNBL in 2000.

Never A Bed Of Roses With a team of National Team players and outstanding youth players from Combined School teams, the club might seem well positioned for championship glory. However things were never a bed of roses. In the 2001 WNBL finals, the team lost to Home United Basketball Club. This was a devastating blow to the club and led to the club undergoing progressive reforms which eventually led to it not only regaining its title, but also serving as a beacon for local basketball with more talented young players rising

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Aljunied Kembangan CSC Youth Team up through its ranks.In 2004, the Aljunied Kembangan CSC organised its first Under 16 basketball tournament. Over the next two years, this tournament has seen a gradual increase in its popularity with more teams joining in 2005. The tournament was organised by the Aljunied Women and Youth Club members with the objectives of

giving youths more exposure in competitions and talent spotting potential basketball prodigies in the making.

Young Talents In 2004, the Aljunied Youth Team was set up and coached by the current Women’s Team captain, Cindy Chan Chin Li. The team consists of players from the

ages of 13 – 17. Much effort was made in finding the extra financial channel to fund this team. The Youth Team’s coach, Ms Chan, commented that she would like to see a budding team that is disciplined, well trained, cohesive and ready to take over key roles in the Women’s Basketball Team.

Though this team has won the championship title for three years, they recently suffered their first defeat at the hands of the young team from Chong Ghee this year. This only serves as a reminder that it is never easy to stay at the top and the championship title should never be taken for granted.

However the real passion behind basketball is not only to win, but to ensure a high spirit and level of play, giving young talents the opportunity to develop and emerge as better players than their predecessors.

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