Third title has Hong Kong Eastern eyeing greater basketball test in regional competition
Domestic champions looking to challenge some of Asia’s best after claiming A1 Division crown
Hong Kong Eastern are expected to enter multiple regional basketball tournaments next season after becoming domestic champions for the third time in franchise history.
Securing the A1 Division crown earned the team a spot in the Basketball Champions League Asia (BCLA), while a third run in an expanded East Asia Super League (EASL) is also on the cards.
With the local league and Senior Shield running from August to March, the EASL from October to March and BCLA qualifiers starting April, the team faces a packed schedule.
“The outlook for the upcoming season is definitely exciting,” Adam Xu, the Eastern captain, said. “Anytime you can add higher-level competition into the season, I think it’s a great opportunity for players to develop.
“The local league, quite frankly, doesn’t have that many games, and the competition level varies, which is not ideal for the direction in which this club wants to move forward.”
In their previous two EASL seasons, Eastern did not make it past the group stage, but Xu believes his team were “competitive” against sides that had been together longer.