Six teams battle it out in Stage 2 SSPL 2018/19

Petaling BC gets second bite of the cherry to secure their spot in Genting

CYBERJAYA (10 January 2019): After the dust settled on another exciting Stage 1 SS Purple League, defending champions, Puchong United BC (PUBC) and star studded, Ampang Jaya Badminton Club (AJBC) emerged unscathed to take their rightful places at the top of the peak in Genting for the final rounds at the Arena of Stars on the 24th to 27th January.

AJBC, who are gunning for their maiden title, must have feared the worst as PUBC and Petaling Badminton Club (Petaling BC) were trading blows in Sundays’ end of season clash.

A 12-12 draw would be enough to see both teams through, but the two teams were having none of that, fighting tooth and nail and eventually settling for a 10-10 draw.

AJBC’s manager, Ho Khek Mong must have been the most relieved man on the night, having seen his team scape through by one point alongside PUBC, with both teams having booked their date with destiny, up in the clouds of Resorts World Genting.

Having finished in the top two spots, they will go directly to the semi-finals while the remaining six teams get another bite at the cherry in Stage 2 to be held on the 11th to 13th January at Gem In Mall, Cyberjaya.

Dark horses, Petaling BC, who narrowly missed out on the qualifying spots by one point, must now regroup and focus their energies towards Stage 2 which offers four more slots to be decided among the remaining six teams.

Having finished third, Petaling BC’s reward is a match-up between winless Bandar Maharani Badminton Club (BMBC) and Serdang Badminton Club (Serdang BC) in Group A.

Meanwhile, last season’s finalists, Kepong Badminton Club, who finished fourth, were drawn to play Bukit Mertajam All Stars Badminton Club (BMASBC) and Tebrau City Badminton Club (TCBC) in Group B.

These six teams will slug it out in two mini leagues with games won from Stage 1 carried forward to determine the final standings.

With Petaling BC having collected 80 points thus far, coach, Ismail Saman is confident his charges will seal the deal this weekend and continue on their assault for the SSPL 2018/19 title in Genting.

“Looking at the draw, on paper we are favourites to go through from Group A, but we must not be over confident.

“I will be ringing in the changes for Stage 2 and I might be bringing on some new players. Playing in Stage 2 is a blessing in disguise as I will be able to use this opportunity to try out these new players in preparation for Genting,” he added.

The SS Purple League 2019 features local and international players including Olympic medallists, world champions, former big names and rising stars on the international stage.

Players from the eight teams will compete in three stages in a single round robin format and play-off format for the coveted SS Purple League trophy. Total prize money for this season is RM1,500,000.

The SS Purple League 2019 Stage 2 will be played on 11-13 Jan 2019 at Gem in Mall, Cyberjaya. The final rounds will be held on 24-27 Jan 2019 at the Arena of Stars, Resorts World Genting.

Tickets to catch the action at Stage 2 SSPL can be purchased at the tournament venue and also through the official website https://www.purpleleague.com/ for only RM15 for adults and RM9 for children below 12 years old. For the SSPL final rounds, tickets are sold for RM 55 and RM65 for adults and RM30 for children.

Stage 2 SSPL 2018/19 Fixtures

11 January 2019 (Friday)
4:00 PM Bandar Maharani BC vs Serdang BC (Group A)
8:00 PM Kepong BC vs Tebrau City BC (Group B)

12 January 2019 (Saturday)
4:00 PM Bukit Mertajam All Stars BC vs Tebrau City BC (Group B)
8:00 PM Petaling BC vs Bandar Maharani BC (Group A)

13 January 2019 (Sunday)
4:00 PM Kepong BC vs Bukit Mertajam All Stars BC (Group B)
8:00 PM Petaling BC vs Serdang BC (Group A)

About Malaysia Purple League
Founded in 2013, Malaysia Purple League is a competition platform in support of the Malaysian badminton effort by helping to develop and polish the skills of Malaysian badminton players to raise the level of competitive badminton in Malaysia. The league is an initiative that provides players of all levels, both professionals and amateurs, with an opportunity to gain invaluable competition experience, and concurrently strives to engage retired national greats to guide and inspire a new generation of champions. For more information, visit Malaysia Purple League website at http://www.purpleleague.com/