Wu Chun shortlisted for national basketball team

SURPRISE, surprise! An international star could be in action soon not on film or stage but on a basketball court.

Goh Kiat Chun, the Brunei-born Taiwan superstar who is more popularly known as Wu Chun, is one of the 30 cagers shortlisted to represent Brunei at the 13th Borneo City Men's Basketball Invitational Tournament 2011 in Kota Kinabalu from Aug 4-7.

The owner of Fitness Zone dropped 13 points for Le Apple Bakery in a 56-54 overtime loss to Auto Experts in the Aewon Cup 2011 basketball tournament last month.

Goh, who recently split from Taiwanese Mandopop quartet boy band Fahrenheit, used to play for the national team, before leaving for Taiwan to pursue his acting/ singing career.

The 31-year-old Goh has been absent from competitive basketball for eight years.

The Brunei Basketball Association (BBA) released the list of players yesterday and they were selected based on their performances at the said tournament.

Le doux Patisserie/ Sia N Tang Music won the competition after defeating Chevrolet Cruze 80-73 in the final.

All the players on the roster of the champions Foo Gwen Tong, Benjamin Lim, Ching Wei Ming, Cavan Kong, Po Yung Hui, Choo Yung Jian, Ben Sim, Yap Chun Ping, Soon Kian Leong, Jong Guo Zhang, Md Zainul Ashyraf, Jon Lee and Kenny Lim were pre-selected to make it into the main team since they are the core players from the national training scheme under the national basketball coach Kevin Reece.

On the other hand, the duo of Esmond Tan and Fong Yeh Leong were selected from the runners-up.

Shim Jan Ting and Tan Ye Wei were selected from Auto Experts while Yong Kui Seng, Koh Wee Chian, Tan Kah Boon and Ak Md Faizuladzmi Pg Tajuddin were those selected from Yun Lee Motor Workshop.

Four players Leong Ming Seng, Liew Chee Hau, brothers Fang Bo Jun and Fang Bo Yuan were chosen from Lian Fu Restaurant and to complete the list were Lim Ling Wen, Liew Ming Yang, Md Jamri Ramlee and Yeo Chun Kiat of Brunei United Ballers (BUB).

The BBA has called upon those pre-selected to attend a pre-training briefing at the BBA court in Batu Bersurat next Monday at 7pm.

More information can be obtained by contacting Wira at 8668855 or Ang at 8897449.

The national cagers battled to third place in the four-team tournament after being thrashed 67-36 by Miri in a do-or-die match at the BBA court last year. It could have been gold for Brunei had they won the match.

Besides the Men's Open, the competition also features the Women's and Veterans' categories.The Brunei Times