Bengaluru/China, 21st July 2017: Amritpal Singh, the near 6’ 10’’ centre of the Indian national team, starred in the first two games for the Sydney Kings, at an invitational tournament in China, known as the Atlas Challenge 2017.
The centre racked up double doubles in the first two games of the tournament, helping his team to a perfect start.
In the first game against an American All-Star squad on 19th July, the Kings won 88-84 on the back of a strong performance from Amritpal Singh, who finished with 14 points and 13 rebounds. He continued to dominate in the second game against Lithuania on 20th July, racking up 13 points and 14 rebounds en route to a resounding 83-70 victory.
The Kings also won the third game 82-56 over Qatar earlier today, on the back of a 34-14 scoring run in the third quarter. The details of Amritpal Singh’s performance in this game are awaited.
These performances are crucial for Singh, as the Sydney Kings are approaching the tournament as an opportunity to evaluate prospective players who may make the Sydney Kings roster at a later stage.
Singh had been formally invited to join the Sydney Kings for the Atlas Challenge 2017, after he impressed a number of teams at the National Basketball League (NBL) Draft Combine in Melbourne, Australia earlier this year. He was part of a four member contingent that also included Amjyot Singh, Yadwinder Singh and Vishesh Bhriguvanshi. A report on the official NBL website reflects high praise for the Punjab centre, and played up his potential to become the first Indian-born player in the NBL. Among the stand out features of his play were his defensive presence around the rim, finishing the Combine tied as the leading shot blocker.