National studes caging starts Monday

Participating teams and guests in the National Students Basketball Championship can expect a fiesta atmosphere when the two-week event, also known as the Inter-Secondary and Inter-Collegiate Basketball Championship, reels off on Monday at the Albay Astrodome in Legazpi City.

Jun Lavadia, deputy-secretary general of the Basketball Association of the Philippines and Region V director, said everything is in place for the meet, which will gather the country’s top school teams in both the high school and college divisions.

Lavadia said Albay Gov. Al Francis Bichara and city officials led by Legazpi City Mayor Noel Rosal are on top of the preparations for the annual basketball tournament, which is being held in Legazpi for the first time in its long and colorful history.

"The entire province of Albay and the city of Legazpi have waited for a long time to host this event so Gov. Al Francis Bichara and Legazpi City Mayor Rosal left no stone unturned to ensure the success of the tournament," said Lavadia.

Defending champion St. Francis of Assisi and reigning NCR titleholder University of the East, along with Cebu’s University of Visayas, are the early favorites in the collegiate division, while defending champion UV Baby Lancers and NCR finalist San Beda College are the teams to beat in the high school side.

The games will be played in two venues. The inter-collegiate side will be held at the brand-new Albay Astrodome, while the high-school meet will be played at the Divine Word College Gym in Ligao town, which is only 45 minutes away from the city proper.