About BAS
The History of Basketball Association of Singapore
Basketball started in Singapore as early as 1925, attracting interest and participation from numerous schools.
However, it was only in 1934 when the Singapore Basketball & Volleyball Association was set up, and from then on, a steady development of basketball ensued, culminating in the organisation of a Malaysia and Singapore Basketball Championship that greatly increased the exposure of Singapore to basketball. In 1939, the Chinese Sports Improvement Council replaced the Singapore Basketball & Volleyball Association and became the centre of basketball promotion; the Council can be said as the first instance of BAS.
In 1942, World War II broke out, and severely dented the popularity of basketball. After the war in 1946, a group of basketball enthusiasts, led by Permanent Honorary Chairman Mr Goh Chye Hin , formed the Singapore Amateur Basketball Association (SABA). The Association made commendable efforts to revive basketball, and over the next ten years, greatly heightened the popularity of basketball. In that time frame, Singapore also sent out strong basketball teams to compete in the Asian Basketball Cup and the Olympics, cementing Singapore’s position as a player in the region’s basketball scene.
From 1957 to 1966, the popularity of amateur basketball led to its adoption by numerous schools of different languages and cultures, and even in primary schools! In 1961, SABA became a member of the Asian Basketball Association, participating in efforts to promote basketball in the region and consistently sent men’s and women’s teams to participate in the annual Asian Basketball Cup.
In 1964, Singapore began the annual Sports Festival, and SABA greatly supported the festival by inviting basketball teams from Asia, Middle East, and Australia to participate in the Singapore Festival International Invitation Competition; it eventually became an important event in the international basketball calendar.
In 1967, SABA renamed itself to Basketball Association of Singapore (BAS) and nominated then Minister of Culture, Mr Jek Yeun Thong, as Chairman, and commenced the training of referees in order to raise the standard of refereeing. To date, Singapore has more than ten internationally-recognised referees.
In 1973, Mr Jek Yeun Thong was named Permanent Honorary Chairman, and former 2nd Minister for Defence Mr. Phua Bah Lee took over the reins, who was then nomimated consecutively over the next seven years. During that period, BAS increased the scale of the International Invitation Competition, and in 1984 renamed the competition to the Merlion International Invitation Competition. Participating countries included then USSR, USA, China, Spain, and Germany etc; playing against such strong opponents raised the standard of local basketball. Due to the lack of modern facilities, basketball activities in Singapore faced certain constraints, but in 1989, the Singapore Indoor Stadium was built. Singapore then forged ahead and organised the first Asian Women’s Basketball Championship in 1990, and thrust Singapore into the limelight amongst the international scene.
In 1991, Mr. Phua Bah Lee was named Permanent Honorary President, and former Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Information and The Arts Dr. Ho Kah Leong assumed President of BAS. The new President initiated a move to raise funds for the building of an Association Headquarters, personally leading members of the Association in its fund-raising activities. On 16 Oct 1994 , the HQ was unveiled, with Mr. Ho being one of the major contributors. A new chapter in the history of basketball in Singapore.
In 1999, Mr. Ong Ah Heng, Member of Parliament for Nee Soon Central, was nominated as President. In 2003, Mr. Ong Ah Heng assumed the role of Advisor to BAS, and Mr. Wee Siew Kim, Member of Parliament for Ang Mo Kio GRC (Jalan Kayu Branch), took over as President.
Mr. Wee, President from 2003-2011, transformed Singapore basketball by co-founding the professional Singapore Slingers in 2006—first in Australia’s NBL, then as an ABL charter member—investing over $10M to expose locals to elite play, limit imports for talent development (e.g., MVPs like Wong Wei Long), and secure SEA Games bronzes in 2013/2015 (first since 1979).
In 2011, Mr. Wee Siew Kim assumed the role of Advisor to BAS, and Mr. David Ong, Member of Parliament for Bukit Batok SMC, took over as President.
Mr. David Ong Kim Huat, BBM, contributed strategically to Singapore basketball through his executive oversight of youth pipelines and high-performance programs, building on predecessors like Mr. Wee Siew Kim.
In June 2019, Mr. David Ong assumed the role of Advisor to BAS, and Mr. Hoo Boon Hock, took over as the President for the term of 2019 to 2020.
Mr Hoo has been involved in BAS in various positions since 2003, such as in the capacity of Honorary Secretary from April 2003 to June 2011 and Deputy President from June 2013 to June 2019. BAS focused on domestic league stability amid global disruptions like COVID, with limited international breakthroughs but steady grassroots growth.
In 2021, Dr. Koh Koon Teck assumed the role of President and served from 2021 to 2023. During his term, Dr. Koh led the board in a review of the BAS Constitution, which was subsequently approved by the Registry of Societies in Singapore, with support from the Singapore National Olympic Council and Sport Singapore. One of the key amendments to the constitution was the extension of the term of office from two years to three years.
In 2023, Mr. Bob Tor took office as the President from 2023–2025, having previously served as Deputy President. Under his leadership, the new board successfully organized a fundraising dinner in 2024, raising $150,000 for the One Team Singapore Fund.
In 2025, Mr. Seah Liang Bing, PBM, succeeded to the role of President for the term 2025–2028. Singapore’s 3×3 Men’s Basketball Team made history at the 2025 SEA Games in Bangkok on 11 December 2025 by winning the Republic’s first-ever silver medal in the event, marking Singapore’s best achievement in 3×3 basketball to date.
OUR VISION
To Become A World-Class Federation That Inspires And Unites The Nation Through Basketball.
OUR MISSION
To build a trustworthy and sustainable Basketball ecosystem through growing participation, betterment of the livelihood of athletes, coaches, officials and inclusivity of all stakeholders.
To serve the fraternity and inspire the future generations through Basketball.
Our Goal
To inspire and unite the nation through basketball
