Taipei, Aug. 10 (CNA) Five top Asian basketball teams have gathered in Taipei for the Asian Professional Basketball (APB) tournament, which will be played from Aug. 11-19, to vie for the position as the top club in Asia.
The Taiwan national team, the only non-club participant, will be joined by four teams from Japan, Korea, the Philippines and Australia in the nine-day, 18-game tournament.
The visiting teams include Niigata Albirex of the Basketball Japan League, the LG Sakers of the Korean Basketball League, the San Miguel Beermen of the Philippines Basketball Association, and the Perth Wildcats of Australia's National Basketball League.
The APB is patterned after the Asia Series of professional baseball.
The Taiwan team, which will use the tournament as part of its preparations for the Asian Games in Doha, Qatar, will face the LG Sakers on the opening day, while the Perth Wildcats will take on Niigata Albirex.
The inaugural game will be played at the Taipei Physical Education Gymnasium.