Tryout slated for Nokia youth Under-16 team

Coach Eric Altamirano conducts a three-day tryout for the Nokia RP Under-16 team from Jan. 2 to 4, 2009 at the Jacinto Tiu Court at Xavier School in Greenhills, San Juan .

Altamirano said all Filipino players born starting Jan. 1, 1993 are invited to attend the tryouts set from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. The players are required to attend all three days of tryouts.

“We will be building the tryouts around sound fundamentals, quickness and good outside shooting, “ said Altamirano, a former University of the Philippines (UP) Maroon, Purefoods champion coach and assistant coach of the Philippine team to the 2002 Busan Asian Games.

The RP Nokia U16 team will be composed of players from these tryouts and also existing participants in the ongoing Nokia National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) D-League.

They will eventually be entered in a series of international competitions as a run-up to FIBA-Asia 16 Under tournament. Altamirano said there will be the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) youth tournament in May, where the top two placers will be seeded in the Fiba-Asia 16 Under Tournament.

The RP-Nokia team coached by Franz Pumaren sparked anew interest in the RP Youth players when it won first place in the Southeast Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) tournament and seventh place in the Asian championship after beating eventual tournament champion Iran.

That team was composed of Norbert Torres, Mark de Guzman, RR Garcia, Kyle Pascual, Ian Paul Sangalang, Philip Paredes, Matthew Wright, Gabriel Banal, Frank Golla, Jaypee Mendoza, Jhon Sumido, Joseph Terso, Samuel Marata and Jed Manguera.

“The team of coach Franz has put the Philippine youth team back on the map and its our job now to sustain that interest. I hope that this team or at least most of its members reach it all the way to the London Olympics in 2012,” said Altamirano, who will count on anew on the support of Nokia Philippines and TAO Corporation.

“TAO Corporation and Nokia has committed anew to help support the team in its quest,” Altamirano emphasized.

For inquiries, call the SBP office at 706-2969 to 70, Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and look for Ms. Love Viray.