CBL 2020 season slated for August 2 start- July 17, 2020
POSTED BY: Eurobasket News
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Sophara Chin
Cambodia's biggest and most prestigious basketball tournament is set to return very soon, according to the sports federation. The 2020 season of the Cambodia Basketball League (CBL) is scheduled to start this coming August 2, according to the Cambodia Basketball Federation (CBF). Federation and team officials conducted a meeting via Zoom to discuss the plans and format for the tournament, according to Austin Koledoye, secretary general of the CBF. 'The teams are preparing now,' he said. The 2020 season was supposed to be held earlier, but was postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic. Like other sports federations, the CBF had its schedule disrupted by the pandemic. There is estimated to be seven teams which will compete in the tournament. These are Yuetai Mekongners, EJF, Master Tapsi, Smart Dragons, Beyond, Asian Ballers and Red Buff. Yuetai Mekongners is composed of multiple Cambodian National Team players, including Sophara Chin (181-PG-98), Channara Tip, Reber William, Tep Chhrorath, and Rithy Sovanchandaravy. Each of the participating teams are required to have 16 players (12 active and four reserves). Tournament rules require that there should be two or three Cambodian players in each team. The elimination round will adopt a double round robin format with each team playing 10 games. The tournament is scheduled to conclude by November. Games will be played every Sunday at the National Training Centre Gymnasium. Held every year, the CBL is the biggest and most-anticipated basketball tournament in Cambodia. Filipinos, British, French, Americans, Chinese, Koreans, Japanese and other nationalities have all played alongside Cambodians in the CBL. Extra Joss Fighters took home the crown in the 2019 season after beating Beyond 73-61 in the championship game. Master Steak defeated Krom Soben, 68-58, to win the third place. While football, boxing and martial arts remain the most popular sports in the Kingdom, basketball is slowly making headway with more people now playing the sport than ever. Basketball courts are now a fixture in many schools not only in Phnom Penh, but also in the provinces. In addition to the local tournaments, the Kingdom has been sending basketball teams to compete in tournaments abroad, including the Southeast Asian Games, Mekong Friendship Basketball and other competitions organised by the Southeast Asia Basketball Association. The increasing popularity of basketball is also helped by the fact that many expats from basketball-loving countries such as the Philippines, Cambodia, Japan, United States, China, Europe, Korea and Taiwan want to play in the Kingdom, creating a greater demand for the sport. |
Last Updated: 3/5/2025
