Southeast Asian basketball league set for launch

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - The first pan-ASEAN professional basketball league has been officially launched.

Malaysian aviation tycoon Tony Fernandes spearheaded the league's formation and hopes to boost the sport in the 10 countries comprising the Association of Southeast Asian Nations.

The ASEAN Basketball League will feature six professional teams from Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand and stretch from October through February. Organizers announced Monday that the opening match between Indonesia's Satria Muda BritAma and the Philippine Patriots will be played in Jakarta on Oct. 10.

ASEAN's other members include Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar and Vietnam.