备受注目的第45届马篮总/国油青年18岁或以下青年赛，今日完成抽签分组仪式。随着东道主沙巴动用主队的选择权，进入A组后，上届亚军槟城、东马强旅砂拉越、林文泽杯冠军队马六甲和上届弃赛的雪兰莪，被迫入死角，在男B组陷入四抢二的死亡组战势。

按上届排名，沙巴原先被列入C组，同组的将是上届季军吉隆坡、上届殿军霹雳，以及实力偏弱的森美兰，但是，有备而来的沙巴主办单位山打根的大会主席黄天赐（WONG TIEN SU），在今早于马篮总会议室举行的抽签分组仪式上，动用了东道主选组的权力，选择了更好打的A组。

这么一来，上届缺勤的马六甲，以及弃赛的雪兰莪，只能在抽签时，选择B与C组而已；马篮总副秘书沈新兴邀请国油与MOLTEN的代表为雪、丹进行抽签，结果，丹男幸运的抽入C组，把死亡之组的空缺留给了雪兰莪队。

当抽签完成后，男队A组的队伍是卫冕队柔佛、吉打、彭亨与主队沙巴。柔佛和沙巴队被看好是出线热门队，吉打与彭亨如若有充份准备，才有望扮演搞局者。在C组，吉隆坡和霹雳出线呼声最高，但是不能低估吉兰丹男队的力量，尤其该队在今年中的林文泽杯赛表现不俗之际，丹男的出现，对霹雳有着潜在的威胁，只是仍然难以看好可以撼动吉隆坡。至于森美兰，一般被看作是陪跑马，除非该队有特别的动作。

男B组则非常玩味，槟城、砂拉越、马六甲以及雪兰莪队的实力非常接近，尤其队中拥有上届旧将撑腰的球队，出线机会将更为乐观。

不得不提的是雪兰莪队。这支在上届赛会因不满球员代表资格而宣布退赛的队伍，在少了一届全国赛的磨练之后，今届能有怎样的做为，仍然是个未知数。

出席今日抽签分组仪式的还有山打根全国赛筹委会主席黄松安（WONG CHUNG ON）、筹委会秘书李忠明（KAPITAN LEE CHUNG MING）以及茜他山打根筹委会要员；马篮总出席的成员还有副秘书刘祖麟、副财政雷升龙、教委会主席黄钟波。其他出席者也包括吉隆坡篮总执行秘书周志权，以及前来采访的各报记者。

据山打根全国赛大会主席黄天赐披露，本次的全国赛不论膳食或住宿，都非常方便，选手村、球场以及食肆中心都非常靠近，步行即可，省却不少麻烦。其中，男队住宿安排在圣迈克中学，女队住宿在圣玛莉小学，他深信，这个安排，将给参赛队伍提供很大的便利。

他说：“大会将邀请沙州首席部长在12月18日为赛会主持开幕仪式，并在冬至当晚，邀请马篮总会长拿督斯里张庆信前来主持群英宴，而在12月26日的闭幕礼上，我们也邀请副首席部长前来主持闭幕。”

在女子组，主队沙巴同样动用选组的权力，但不同的是，该队上届缺勤，选组只影响上届第9名的马六甲而已，基本的列强已经对号入座，因此，筹委会在沙女教练团的默契下，选择进入A组，把马六甲推去了B组。

与沙女同组的计有卫冕队吉隆坡、上届殿军砂拉越、上届第5名的霹雳、森美兰；女B组则有上届亚军柔佛、上届季军雪兰莪、彭亨、槟城以及马六甲。

第45届马篮总/国油全国18岁或以下青年锦标赛 分组形势 男A：柔佛、吉打、彭亨、沙巴

男B：槟城、砂拉越、马六甲、雪兰莪

男C：吉隆坡、霹雳、吉兰丹、森美兰

（男子组复赛分六强赛，初赛各组前两名晋级，经抽签后把6队编入X与Y组，积分最高的队伍进入决赛争雄）

女A：吉隆坡、砂拉越、霹雳、森美兰、沙巴

女B：柔佛、雪兰莪、彭亨、槟城、马六甲。

（女子组采用交叉半决赛，小组成绩最好的两队晋级四强，以A1对B2、B1对A2展开半决赛，胜方则打决赛争夺后冠。）

Draw Results: 45th MABA/PETRONAS U18 National Championships

The Draw to decide the groupings for the 45th MABA/PETRONAS 18 & Under National Junior Basketball Championship had been carried out earlier today. Sabah, being the host team, was given the choice of grouping, and opted for Group A. Group B had turned out to be the 'Group of Death', with last year's champions, Penang, Lim Mun Chuk Cup champions, Malacca, East-Malaysian powerhouse, Sarawak and Selangor vying for the top two spots to proceed to the next round.

According to last year's final placings, Sabah was supposed to be in Group C, together with last year's 2nd runners-up, Kuala Lumpur, fourth-placed Perak and relatively weaker Negri Sembilan. However, Organising Chairman, Wong Tien Su, chose to exercise Sabah's right as the host team to choose which group they wish to play in, choosing to be in Group A instead.

With that move, Malacca and Selangor could only end up in either Group B or C. Representatives from Petronas and Molten took the draw for Selangor and Kelantan, and Kelantan ended up in Group C, while leaving Selangor with no choice but to duke it out in the 'Group of Death'.

At the end of the Draw, the groupings are as follows:

Group A - Johor, Kedah, Pahang, Sabah

Group B - Selangor, Malacca, Sarawak, Penang

Group C - Kuala Lumpur, Perak, Kelantan, Negri Sembilan

Johor and Sabah will be the favoured teams to go on to the next round, with Pahang and Kedah needing something extra in order to pull off an upset. Kuala Lumpur and Perak are considered the favourites in Group C, but it is too early to discount the Kelantan boys after their admirable performance at the Lim Mun Chuk Cup earlier this year. Although it may be hard for them to unseat the strong Kuala Lumpur team.

Selangor will be a team under scrutiny this year, especially since they chose to withdraw from last year's U18 due to disagreements about player eligibility. With their players losing out on competition experience, we can only wait to see how they will perform in this year's competition.

For the girls' category, Sabah also chose to exercise their right as the host team to choose their groupings, however, as they did not participate in last year's competition, their decision only affected Malacca, who came in ninth last year. Sabah chose to play in Group A, and Malacca went into Group B.

The grouping for the girls' category is as follows:

Group A - Kuala Lumpur, Sarawak, Perak, Negri Sembilan, Sabah

Group B - Johor, Selangor, Pahang, Penang, Malacca

Present at the Draw ceremony were Organizing Committee Chairman, Mr Wong Chung On, Organizing Committee Secretary, Kapitan Lee Chung Ming, and other members of the Organizing Committee. MABA Representatives included Assistant Secretary General, Mr Lew Choo Lin, Assistant Treasurer, Mr Looi Seng Long.

According to the Sandakan National Championship Chairman, Mr Wong Tian Chi, food and lodging will be very convenient for the players as the athletes' village, playing court and food centres are all within close vicinity of one another. The boys will be housed at St Michael's Secondary School while the girls will stay at the St Mary Convent Primary School.

"We will be inviting the Sabah Chief Minister for the opening ceremony on the 18th of December and on the evening of the Winter Solstice, we will be inviting the President of MABA, YB Dato' Seri Tiong King Sing JP to host the Official Dinner. Finally, we will be inviting the Sabah Deputy Chief Minister to host the closing ceremony on the 26th of December," he said.