HK, China teams win at basketball event

JAKARTA (JP): Teams from China and Hong Kong triumphed on the second day of the 8th Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Champions Cup here yesterday.

China's PLA Hongsan beat Singapore's Tongwhye 98-74 while Hong Kong's Regal ousted Malaysia's Petronas 77-66.

Also to be played yesterday were Iran's Zob Ahan versus KIA Motors of South Korea and Uzbekistan's MHSK squaring off against Indonesia's Aspac.

Indonesia's Aspac got off to a bad start Friday with a loss to Petronas.

Despite the cheers of the local crowd and Aspac almost pulling even in the last two minutes of the second half, Petronas eked out a 71-66 win.

Aspac started out well in the first half by running up a lead of six points. Petronas fought back to take command 21-19. The Malaysian team then raced to a convincing 48-41 advantage at the end of the first half.

Aspac never regained the lead in the second half although it almost leveled with the score at 66-67. Petronas then took advantage of four fouls committed by Aspac players to take the lead.

Six of the 12 Aspac players -- A.F. Rinaldo, Victor Roring, Felix Bendatu, Cokorda Rei, Triadnyana Adi Loka and Rommy C. Chandra -- are being groomed for the 19th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in October in Jakarta.

The Champions Cup, an annual inter-club championships, permits competing teams to field two foreign players.

Petronas have Ernest Nzigamasabo and John Antony while Aspac have Boby Parks and Steve McGlothin in its line-up.

Nzigamasabo scored 24 points while Parks scored 35 points, 22 of which came in the second half.

In other matches on Friday, Japan's Isuzu defeated KIA Motor of South Korea 73-30, the Philippines' Tanduay Gold beat MHSK of Uzbekistan 90-76 and PLA Hongshan defeated Zob Ahan 73-61.

Ten top basketball clubs in Asia are participating in the one- week championship through July 25. (03)