Telfair to meet Pinoys in Portland

Portland Trail Blazers guard Sebastian Telfair will take time off from his busy National Basketball Association (NBA) schedule to host a lunch for the Asian Streetball champions of San Beda College at the Adidas Village in Portland on Saturday.

The trip to Portland was the prize for the San Beda cagers who went through the wringer in topping the National Capital Region (NCR) eliminations and national finals before winning the Asian title at the Araneta Coliseum last September.

Adidas marketing manager Goody Custodio and marketing communications assistant manager Odette Velarde are accompanying San Beda coach Rene Baena and four players–Borgie Hermida, Jay-R Taganas, Eduardo Tecson and Riego Gamalinda–to Portland for the five-day visit. Solar Sports vice president for marketing Jude Turcuato will also join the group.

The Adidas delegation leaves Manila this morning via Northwest Airlines.

Aside from being treated by Telfair for lunch, the Filipino visitors will tour the Adidas Village and meet Adidas executives involved in the basketball and running lines. They will also watch the NBA game between Portland and Houston on Sunday.

Telfair, 20, came to Manila for the sixth Adidas Asian Streetball finals last September. He watched high school boys and girls from the Philippines, China, Chinese-Taipei, Hong Kong and Korea play for honors in the extreme half-court game of 3-on-3 where the winner is the first team to score 15 points within 20 minutes or the team that is ahead at the end of 20 minutes. Telfair also conducted clinics during his five-day Manila tour.

It will be a reunion of sorts for Telfair and the San Beda squad that toppled West Negros College, 14-11, in the Asian finals after beating China, Korea, Chinese-Taipei and Hong Kong and losing to West Negros College in the eliminations.

Baena, 48, said it was an uphill climb for San Beda because star Ogie Menor, who led the team to the NCR title, begged off from playing in the national and the Asian Streetball finals. Menor’s replacement Gamalinda turned out to be the Asian Streetball finals’ MVP.

Gamalinda, Taganas and Tecson play for the San Beda seniors’ varsity while Hermida is the Red Cubs skipper.