'The commercial value of investing in basketball is very low . . . because

The Hong Kong Basketball Association (HKBA) is braced for a tough year after the withdrawal of top teams from the First Division, a ban on foreign players and the departure of national coach Tim Darling.

It's all a far cry from the challenges facing the North American NBA, which tips off its own shortened season today at its lowest ebb for many years.

But the local game could be looking at its worst season this decade in terms of attendance when play begins in March.

And on the national team front there is not enough funding to hire a quality foreign coach. Canadian Darling's contract expired last December and the HKBA are looking for a local coach to guide the national squad for September's Asian Championship in Japan.

Champion team Regal dropped a bombshell last November when they announced they would concentrate on this year's Asian Basketball Confederation Champions' Cup and Asian Professional League at the expense of the domestic competition.

Last month, Seapower and Suntex followed Regal's lead after the HKBA decided to ban foreign players from the league.

Eight teams, including Second Division side Billion Ocean who borrowed their league membership from Suntex, will compete in the revamped league. It is the first time in nine years that the league will be an all-local affair.