Jr. All-Stars to catch NBA pre-season game

Melvin Chua is hoping his school will reveal an answer ahead of his year-end examinations.

The Unity Secondary School student is seeking permission to travel to China from Oct 7-10 to watch a National Basketball Association (NBA) pre-season game. His exams end on Oct 14.

Melvin is among a group of 10 boys and five girls who form the Jr. NBA Singapore All-Star team.

They are looking to join 75 other basketballers from Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Thailand and Vietnam to watch a game between the Houston Rockets and the New Orleans Pelicans at Shanghai's Mercedes Benz Arena on Oct 9.

Even though he is a Cleveland Cavaliers fan, Melvin is eager to see Pelicans forward Anthony Davis in action.

In fact, he is happy just to watch two NBA teams in action.

The 13-year-old said: "Not everyone gets this opportunity to go and watch a live game."

Besides the game, the youngsters will also get to meet former NBA players, attend basketball training sessions and play matches.

Jurong Secondary School student Valarie Lim hopes that she will learn new skills during the trip.

The Secondary 2 student said: "Maybe other countries have stronger players whom I have never met before, and I hope to learn from them."

NBA Asia's vice-president of global partnerships and events, Francesco Suarez, said: "Our Jr. NBA All-Stars will once again embark on an unforgettable journey where they will get to experience a foreign country, take part in advanced basketball training and watch a live NBA game, all while engaging with their counterparts from South-east Asia.

"This gathering creates lifelong memories and friendships for our participants, and we will continue providing even more youth with opportunities like this in the years to come."

Alvin Chia

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A version of this article appeared in the print edition of The Straits Times on September 14, 2016, with the headline Jr. All-Stars to catch NBA pre-season game. Subscribe