Jr. NBA delegates scale China’s Great Wall

BEIJING, China – From the Great Wall of China to the Great Wall of Yao.

Filipino Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA representatives as well as their counterparts from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam got to scale the Great Wall, one of the greatest wonders of the world which was also listed as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO, as part of their prize for emerging the best in their countries.

It gets better from there as these kids, who are aged 12 to 14 years old, will get to see no less than Chinese basketball legend and former NBA All-Star Yao Ming at a basketball school named after him the next day.

According to Dennis Kim, events coordinator for the organizing NBA Asia, Limited, NBA legends Darryl Dawkins and Sam Perkins will also be at the Yao School to teach the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA ambassadors some skills and tips on how to play the game.

"They will be there to inspire these Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA players," said Kim.

According to Kim, 15 of the 50 Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA cagers will be selected to join with the Yao School's top 10 students before they will be divided into two groups where they will play an exhibition game in front of not just the 7-6 Yao but both Dawkins and Perkins as well.

And everyone is excited to get picked, including SJ Belangel, who played for Taytung in Bacolod City before he was recruited by Ateneo High this year.

"All of us, of course, wanted to get picked and play but if we're not, we'll still be happy and cheer for those who got picked," said the 14-year-old Belangel, who once scored 99 points in a game in Iloilo a few years back.

Belangel was just one of the 15 kids – 10 boys and five girls – who emerged from rigorous tryouts done in the Alaska Milk-sponsored Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Training Camp in the Phl early this year.

The other boys are Jethro Rocamora of First Baptist Christian School, Andrew Vincent Velasco of Ateneo de Cebu, Vince Leo Dolendo and David Leonardo Umadhay of Huasiong College, Rhayyan Amsali of Nazareth School, Paul Matthew Manalang of NU and Jan Cyril Narvasa of UST and Luigi Miguel Velasco of La Salle-Greenhills.

The girls are represented by Arielle Marie Lanot of La Salle-Zobel, Kreecie Bettina Binaohan and Roxanne Salvador both of Perpetual Help, Karl Ann Pingol of Pototan School in Iloilo and Mary Jean Pascua of University of Southern Philippines of Cebu.

Each country also sent their top male and female coaches with the Filipinos sending in Tacloban City's Andy Tecocan and St. Stephen High's Pia Dysangco.

Everyone also attended a traditional Chinese Crafts Day and was treated to the Chinese Acrobatic Show at the Beijing Chaoyang Center to cap the day.

The fourth and final day will see all Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA participants see the Brooklyn Nets and the Sacramento Kings play in the 2014 NBA Global Games Beijing presented by ZTE at the Mastercard Center.