New national youth development programme set to give Singapore basketball a shot in the arm

SINGAPORE – In a bid to boost Singapore basketball’s podium prospects and extend players’ longevity at the elite level, a National Youth Development Programme (NYDP) for the sport has been launched at the Singapore Sports School.

A collaboration between the school, the High Performance Sport Institute (HPSI) and the Basketball Association of Singapore, the NYDP is a structured platform for high-potential Under-19 athletes in both the 3x3 and 5v5 formats.

It was first announced by Acting Minister for Culture, Community and Youth David Neo during a parliamentary debate on his ministry’s budget on March 5.

Such a set-up allows youth to train up to 10 times a week throughout the year, incorporating other elements such as strength and conditioning, compared to just two to four sessions a week with the national youth teams during competition periods.

The programme also aims to provide consistent exposure to both formats of the game, with at least 40 games a year through league games, friendlies and overseas opportunities.

Mr Neo said the intention is to create a “more integrated pathway that brings together our young athletes more consistently, so that we can strengthen individual mastery and team cohesion”.

The NYDP is an example of how Singapore’s new high-performance entity, Sports Excellence Singapore (SpexSG) – to be launched on April 1 – will partner national sports associations to develop high-performance plans that enhance pathways, set clearer medal targets, devise multi-year training and competition plans, as well as provide more consistent support for sport science and athlete life, added the Ministry of Culture, Community and Youth.

Neo Beng Siang, who coached the Singapore Slingers in the now-defunct Asean Basketball League, is the NYDP’s head coach.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times, HPSI chief Su Chun Wei said the NYDP represents a “significant shift in our strategy to create an integrated National Basketball Programme that is designed to maximise Singapore’s podium potential”.

He added: “With a consistent daily training environment from youth level, the programme aims to elevate player standards and ensures athletes enter national teams – whether 3x3 or 5v5 – with superior technical skills and tactical awareness.”

The NYDP and the national 3x3 programme come under the National Basketball Programme, which creates a “seamless transition pathway with consistent coaching philosophy for athletes from youth to senior levels”, noted Su.

He added: “This enables them to reach their potential earlier and maintain peak performance for a longer duration, thereby extending a player’s career at the elite level.

“The unified coaching structure also allows for individual player monitoring and development tracking throughout their sporting career, improving injury prevention and athlete wellness management.”

Among those benefiting from the NYDP is Emily Elessa, 15, who transferred from Yishun Secondary School to the Sports School in 2026 to pursue her aspiration of representing Singapore at the senior level.

Previously, Emily trained twice a week with her school, separately from her national teammates and under a different coach, until the competition period nears.

Now, she trains up to 10 times per week with both the 3x3 national team and the NYDP, under national coaches with a standardised coaching approach.

The change has already made an impact on Emily. She said: “The increased consistency has helped me build discipline and improve my overall skill set. Training more frequently has also allowed me to refine the smaller details of my game, which makes a significant difference over time.”

Clement Lim, the National Basketball Programme director, said that previously, many of the youth athletes trained mainly with their schools or clubs, with the national youth team coming together only before major competitions.

He added: “In many cases, that meant just two to four sessions per week during the campaign period, before the squad returned to their regular training regimes after the tournament.

“While this model met the requirements during competition season, it was not ideal for building the level of skill, decision-making speed, physical robustness, and high-performance habits that senior athletes needed for higher-tier competitions.

“The NYDP addresses this gap by shifting from a campaign-based model to a long-term development model.

“Instead of fragmented support, athletes now have access to full-time qualified coaching, more regular training, sport science and sport medicine support, and better coordination between basketball, education, and personal development.”

Last December, Singapore clinched their first SEA Games medal in 3x3 basketball with the men’s team winning a hard-earned silver in Thailand. It was also the Republic’s best finish in SEA Games basketball since the women’s five-a-side team finished second in Vietnam in 2003.

In February, another milestone was set when both the men’s and women’s 3x3 teams qualified for the July 23-Aug 2 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Scotland.

Singapore will have a chance for more breakthroughs when they host and compete in the April 11-12 FIBA 3x3 World Cup Qualifier for the first time.

The competition in Singapore will be played over three rounds at The Kallang’s OCBC Square and follows the April 1-5 FIBA 3x3 Asia Cup at the same venue.

Featuring the highest-ranked teams in the FIBA 3x3 federation rankings who are yet to qualify for the World Cup, the men’s qualifiers consist of the Czech Republic (world No. 18), Singapore (30th) and Brazil (44th) in Pool A. New Zealand (22nd), Italy (23rd) and Egypt (49th) have been drawn in Pool B.

The women’s qualifiers comprise Hungary (13th), Lithuania (22nd) and Egypt (37th) in Pool A, and the Philippines (19th), Singapore (20th) and Brazil (62nd) in Pool B.