Shooting for the stars

By Serena Yeh

DRIBBLING PAST OPPONENTS: Wong Wei Long penetrates the opposition’s defence for a shot.
PHOTO: Kenneth Chua

On the basketball court, Wong Wei Long is in control. As the point guard, he assumes the role of team commander. He reads the movements, calculates the play, and facilitates the game.

The 27-year-old plays for the national team and the Singapore Slingers — the country’s only professional basketball team that is part of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL).

Off the court, Wong’s zeal for the sport spills over to his other activities. At the forefront of his focus are plans to groom the next generation of basketball talents, which he kickstarted by beginning to coach students nine years ago.

Late last year, he set up his own training school, the Scholar-Athlete Basketball Academy, and employs national team players as his trainers.

His very first clinic last December attracted 26 students, exceeding his expectations. On 16 Jan, he started his first class with only eight students, and now has five classes with over 80 students.

Most of his time is spent with his students. He also holds free 45-minute-long basketball clinics around Bishan and does enrichment classes for Nanyang Primary School.

His dedication is evident. He beams when he shares about his protégé from Hwa Chong Institution, whom he hopes to train up to the international scene. To him, training them in their crucial teenage years means instilling the right techniques and beliefs in them, and turning them away from bad choices in life.

He has many dreams he wants to achieve for his students, such as being able to bring his top eight to a summer basketball camp in the U.S. to broaden their vision. He also hopes to be able to build his own basketball gym within the next three years.

“I’ll do what I can do for those parents who have faith and trust in me. I’m going to do my best for them,” Wong says.

Well-rounded

Wong is also more than just a basketball player and trainer. He is also a restaurant owner and recent School of Electrical and Electronic Engineering graduate.

To the spectator, it might seem like a feat to juggle multiple commitments all at once. But for Wong, it is something that he embraces.

“I always want my schedule to be packed, so that I’m not going to waste my time,” he adds.

During the lead-up to the 28th Southeast Asian (SEA) Games in June, where the Republic eventually finished with a bronze, Wong’s typical daily routine comprised two trainings with the national team, attending tutorials in school, and coaching his own students. In addition, he also had to contend with the rigours of his Final Year Project.

Playing on home ground at the SEA Games, the national team was aiming for the gold medal. But disappointing performances and injuries hampered their efforts — Wong was hit in his eye during training and broke his right hand’s middle finger.

But he’s not one to fixate on losses. “You just got to do a better job in the near future. You can never think about what happened in the past, just got to move forward,” he adds.

Wong is equally forthcoming about the national team’s chances at the upcoming 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Hunan, China. Several of their key players are unable to join due to other commitments, including NTU undergraduate Russel Low who is busy with his studies.

“We are all not prepared,” he says. “But nevertheless, our coach wants us to have that kind of experience.”

It is the first time in 14 years that the Republic is playing in the tournament. The team is grouped with Asian heavyweights China and South Korea, as well as Jordan.

As a veteran player, Wong says this will be a valuable opportunity for the team’s group of younger players to learn because it will be their first outing on the international stage.

The Right Attitude

Having the right beliefs mean a lot to Wong. He values a particular saying from two-time NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Steve Nash, “The true test of a man’s character is what he does when no one is watching.”

He believes that what matters the most is the hard work a person puts in when no one else is looking, and this personal conviction shows in his results.

From single digit statistics in his first season with the Slingers, he now racks up double digits. Last year, Wong was voted the ABL’s Local MVP over his competitors from Malaysia and Thailand.

“With the right mentality, nothing will go wrong,” Wong says.

Standing at 1.74 metres, he cuts a diminutive figure as compared to his teammates and competitors. But whether he’s facing taller opponents or tougher teams, he feels no additional stress. Even if people assume that he’s going to lose, all he wants to do is go out there to compete.

Wong says: “I’ll always love the challenge. I always want people to hit me down so that I can climb up again.”