First-Ever Pro-Amateur Game Held In Conjunction With FIBA Intercontinental Cup Marks Continued Growth Of The Sport In Singapore
Published On 20 Sep 2025
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The FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore continues to make history with the event’s first-ever pro-amateur (pro-am) game on Saturday (20 Sept).
Singapore, 20 September 2025 – The FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore continues to make history with the event’s first-ever pro-amateur (pro-am) game on Saturday (20 Sept). Members of the Singapore basketball community were treated to the rare opportunity of playing alongside top local and international players on the competition court at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
Eight young players from schools and basketball academies here participated in the 40-minute game. They shared the court with Mr David Neo, Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth and Senior Minister of State for Education, as well as FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025 Ambassadors Pero Antic and Ronny Turiaf. Joining the action were national cagers Chase Tan, Mohamed Zahid, Ariel Loiter and Lim Jia Min, as well as local artistes Allan Wu and Calvert Tay. Completing the line-up were Derek Chew from Kallang Alive Sport Management, Benjamin Gauthier (Chief Commercial & Marketing Officer of FIBA) and Alan Goh (Chief Executive Officer of Sport Singapore).
The team led by Team Singapore’s Lim clinched a 46-43 win over fellow national player Tan’s side in the game, which comprised two 20-minute halves and rolling substitutions. The pro-am game took place before the final two group stage matches of the ongoing FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025. Six teams are competing in this year’s edition – defending champions Unicaja (Spain), the NBA G League United (USA), Alahli SC (Libya), Utsunomiya Brex (Japan), Flamengo (Brazil) and Illawarra Hawks (Australia).
Ronny Turiaf, FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025 ambassador, said: “It is always a lot of fun getting to know new people through basketball and I’ve really enjoyed participating in this pro-am game where I got to meet basketball fans and players from different backgrounds in Singapore. It is activities like this that show us how global events like the FIBA Intercontinental Cup can unite communities through sport. Staging a pro-am alongside the Intercontinental Cup for the first time is an achievement that shows the popularity of the sport not just in Singapore but in the region as well, and I hope this will inspire more people to play basketball.”
Lim said: "It’s a real honour to be part of the Pro-Am match and share the court with some of the legends of the game. Opportunities like this don’t come often, and for us as national athletes, it’s an incredible experience to learn, grow, and be inspired by those who’ve reached the top. It’s also a great way to bring the basketball community together and showcase the spirit of the sport."
Yazed Osman, Kallang Alive Sport Management Group Head of Events and Placemaking, and Place Management, said: “Hosting and organising the FIBA Intercontinental Cup in Singapore over the last three years have helped strengthen skills and technical capabilities, enabling the growth of the sport. Through curated programming, we celebrated basketball greats, uplifted aspiring talents, inspired youths, and made the sport accessible to all across our spaces. Organising the pro-am game this year brings the sport to a new level and affirms the values of friendship, teamwork, and social inclusion and cohesion that are strengthened through sport.”
Basketball history was made in 2023 when Singapore Sports Hub became the first-ever venue to host the tournament in Asia. More than 40,000 patrons came together to catch live basketball action across eight exciting game days in 2023 and 2024. As part of the commitment to making the sport accessible to the community, day 1 of the tournament was made free to all patrons in both the 2024 and 2025 editions.
Holding a pro-am game this year alongside the FIBA Intercontinental Cup signals the continued growth of the event in Singapore since the Republic became the first Asian city to host this prestigious tournament. During last year’s edition, the induction ceremony for the FIBA Hall of Fame was held in Singapore for the first time.
The FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025 concludes on 21 September. Updates on the event are available at the FIBA Intercontinental Cup 2025 website, and on the Singapore Sports Hub’s social media pages.