2017 Kwese PBL Champs, Kano Pillars, have arrived Malaysia for an invitational basketball tournament.

We wish them the best.

It is the 2017 Seri Mutiara Cup and will hold from 12-18 September 2017.

Seri Mutiara Champions Cup 2017

Justin Taguibao
September 6, 2017

NBL Asia (Malaysia) have released the schedules for the upcoming Seri Mutiara Cup tournament next week at the MABA Stadium in Kuala Lumpur. Popular local powerhouse team NS Matrix will serve as the host country’s representative in the annual basketball tournament that invites teams from all over the world.

Teams joining NS Matrix for the 2017 edition include defending champions Guangzhou-Foshan Longlions (Chinese Basketball Association), Beijing Fly Dragons (Chinese Basketball Association), LG Sakers (Korean Basketball League), Fubon Braves (SBL Taiwan), Kano Pillars (Nigerian Premier Basketball League), Link Tochigi Brex (Japan B.League), and KK Split (Croatian Premier League).

Not to be outdone by the relatively more prestigious Merlion Cup across the straits in Singapore, the Seri Mutiara Cup also boasts of high quality teams and plenty of familiar names to basketball fans. If they join their teams in the tourney, among the most notable ones are Stephon Marbury (Beijing), Samad Nikkhah Bahrami and Tyler Hansbrough (Guangzhou), Joe Lin (Fubon), Yuta Tabuse (Link Tochigi Brex).

As for the local Malaysian team NS Matrix, a source with knowledge of the situation revealed they might consider resting some players to prepare them for the domestic tournament Agong Cup later this year. Among names possibly sitting out are Teo Kok Hou, Ting Chun Hong, Kuek Tian Yuan, Ivan Yeo, and Wong Yi Hou from the national team and 2016 ASEAN Basketball League champions Westports Malaysia Dragons.

Schedule:

Tues, Sep 12
2:00 PM Kano Pillars vs Link Tochigi Brex
4:00 PM LG Sakers vs Beijing Fly Dragon
6:00 PM KK Split vs Guangzhou Longlions
8:00 PM Opening Ceremonies
9:00 PM NS Matrix vs Fubon Braves

Wed, Sep 13
2:00 PM Beijing Fly Dragon vs Kano Pillars
4:00 PM Fubon Braves vs KK Split
7:00 PM Guangzhou Longlions vs NS Matrix
9:00 PM Link Tochigi Brex vs LG Sakers

Thu, Sep 14
2:00 PM Fubon Braves vs Guangzhou Longlions
4:00 PM NS Matrix vs KK Split
7:00 PM Kano Pillars vs LG Sakers
9:00 PM Link Tochigi Brex vs Beijing Fly Dragon

Sat, Sep 16
2:00 PM [Relegation 7th/8th]
4:00 PM [Relegation 5th/6th]
7:00 PM [SEMI-FINAL 1]
9:00 PM [SEMI-FINAL 2]

Sun, Sep 17
1:00 PM [Relegation 3rd/4th]
3:00 PM [3-point shootout]
4:00 PM [FINAL]
5:45 PM Closing Ceremonies

Season pass tickets are available for RM100 for the first 300 clients and comes with full access to the entire tournament and will also entitle you to an official Seri Mutiara 2017 shirt. Regular day pass tickets are also available in advance for as low as RM10 for students and RM20 for adults through NBL Asia.

Tolexander:
Though little is known about the Kwese sponsored NPL, All the best to Kano Pillars!

naptu2:


It's shown live on DBN Television/Kwese Sports and it's quite interesting, even though some of my favourite teams were banned from this year's competition for creating an unauthorised league.

Tolexander:
Though little is known about the Kwese sponsored NPL, All the best to Kano Pillars!

naptu2:


It's shown live on DBN Television/Kwese Sports and it's quite interesting, even though some of my favourite teams were banned from this year's competition for creating an unauthorised league.

DangotePikin:
please how many top basketball leagues do we have in Nigeria?

DangotePikin:
please how many top basketball leagues do we have in Nigeria?

DangotePikin:
please how many top basketball leagues do we have in Nigeria?

naptu2:


Just one, the Kwese Premier League (and its lower divisions) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nigerian_Premier_League_(basketball) ) . Winners of the Kwese Premier League play in the FIBA Africa Clubs Cup (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FIBA_Africa_Clubs_Champions_Cup ).

However, in 2016 some of the most famous clubs created a new African league (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/African_Basketball_League ) . The clubs included Lagos Islanders (partly owned by Sound Sultan), Lagos Warriors (of the Dodan Warriors/Dodan Barracks Basketball programme) and Stallions (Union Bank). Clubs from Senegal, Ivory Coast and Gabon were also involved in the league.

They then sought permission from the Nigerian Basketball Federation to play in both their new league and the Nigerian league. The NBBF told them that they should have sought permission before creating the league. They said that they had the permission of FIBA Africa, but FIBA Africa wrote to the NBBF that they never gave permission for the new league to hold. Then the NBBF indefinitely suspended all the Nigerian teams that took part in the new league.

toyinjimoh:
So kano pillars get basket ball team, nice one