Youth hoops league set to unfurl national finals in San Juan

MANILA, Philippines — The next great Filipino cagers are set to rise and shine when the Batang Pilipino Basketball League unwraps its Season 1 national finals featuring the best youth teams across the archipelago.

Playing true to its goal of championing the local hoops at the grassroots level, the BPBL will feature a total of 25 teams in boys and girls division made up of around 500 18-year-old cagers and below on January 27-29 in San Juan.

Fourteen teams in boys and 11 in girls have made it to the national tilt after rigid qualifiers that started last summer from a total of 195 teams and over 10,000 participants in 13 regions, making it a highly-anticipated spectacle for the Philippine basketball youth.

A single-round robin, two-day format in both divisions slated in San Juan Gym, Ronac Art Center, Greenhills West Basketball Court and Filoil EcoOil Centre is in play with the Top 3 in boys and Top 2 in girls advancing to the national championship on the 29th.

Ilocos (Region 1), Pampanga (Region 3), Baguio and Benguet (Cordillera), Batangas (Region IV-A), Catanduanes (Region 5), Aklan (Region 6), Cebu (Region 7), Ormoc (Region 8), Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon (Region 10), Davao City (Region 11), Cotabato and General Santos (Region 12), BARMM as well as NCR North and South have clinched tickets to the nationals.

BPBL president Jun Ebdane and commissioner Ron Camara said it is the culmination of their once improbable dreams for the aspiring Filipino teens including the out-of-school youth, development and education-wise, with the presence of UAAP and NCAA coaches. 

“Gusto nating mabigyan ng exposure at opportunity ‘yung mga kabataang out-of-school youth na maipakita ‘yung talento nila at makilala sa larangan ng basketball. Ginawa natin ito para mabigyan sila ng tsansang makabalik sa pag-aaral sa pamamagitan ng basketball,” said Camara in the presser held at the Romulo’s Café in Quezon City.

Camara added that the BPBL is also for those potential players from the far-flung areas, who are not being reached by prominent youth leagues, with an end goal of providing a platform for their academic goals and professional basketball dreams.

Being a possible stepping stone for future Gilas Pilipinas youth campaigners is also the mission of BPBL with constant discussion with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas led by Gilas youth coach Josh Reyes.

“That’s our ultimate goal,” he said.

But more than that, the BPBL is out to instill core values among the teens that will serve as their foundation for their bigger basketball dreams.

“Sportsmanship, brotherhood, discipline and character, ‘yun ang mga core values na gusto naming matutunan ng mga bata higit pa sa basketball,” said Ebdane.