Lancers to defend adidas Streetball crown

Take it to the street!

This will be the theme when Adidas holds the seventh edition of the adidas Streetball Challenge 2003 with a kick-off Metro Manila leg this weekend at the Araneta Center carpark in Cubao, Quezon City.

Aside from cash prizes and gift items from sponsoring adidas for the winners, participants will be gunning for berths in the Philippines team competing in the fifth Asian Finals set midway this year in Seoul, South Korea.

"The purpose of this tournament is not just about promoting our product but to also discover, tap and develop promising young talents," said adidas president John Alonte, during the launching yesterday at the Café Lupe in Makati City.

Defending champion University of Visayas is expected to be back this year as the team to beat with hulking 6-foot-6 center Joseph Quinahan expected to lead the Boy Cabahug-mentored Lancers.

Open to all student male and female cagers aged 19 years old and below, this meet will also hold qualifiers in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao with the winners joining the Manila leg winners in the national finals scheduled from July 12-13 at the Glorietta Mall in Makati City.

Other legs are set in Sta. Rosa (Apr. 5-6), Baguio City (Apr. 5-6), Legaspi City (Apr. 12-13) and San Fernando (Apr. 25-27) in Luzon, Iloilo and Bacolod (May 17-18) and Cebu City (May 30-31) in the Visayas and Cagayan de Oro and Zamboanga City (June 14-15) and Davao City (June 27-29) in Mindanao.

Supporting the event are WG&A, adidas fragrance and body care for men, Powerade, Viva Mineral Water, Café Lupe, Milo, Warner Music, Pink and Chalk magazines, and Studio 23.

This basketball event serves as one of the major marketing strategies of adidas Philippines Inc. to maintain its leadership over the country’s sports apparel/gear industry, which explains why the adidas Streetball Challenge enjoys prominent tri-media exposure on both national and provincial levels.

Aside from the marketing mileage that the basketball tournament generates it also puts in flesh the Adidas Philippines Inc. commitment to promote and develop Philippine basketball. Likewise, the event contributes immensely on the objective of inculcating in the Filipino youth the values that engagement in sports imparts like fair play, sportsmanship and teamwork.

The Adidas Philippines Inc. envisions that the Adidas Strretball Challenge 2003 shall have the highest level of competition and participation whereby teams representing schools and LGUs shall be invited to take this year’s Challenge. Pocket tournaments for the Seniors and Girls Divisions shall be conducted in key urban centers to allow for a wider participation. Regional Champions from each division shall later compete at the Ayala Glorietta-Makati City for the National Finals.