Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Noli Eala lauded the Nokia National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) League for giving rise to the most successful youth team yet in recent years during the under-16 league’s opening ceremonies at the Jacinto Tiu Gym at the Xavier Sports Center in San Juan City.
Eala pointed out to the Nokia NBTC D-League’s slogan of “developing skills, building character and raising leaders” as the main reason why the Nokia RP U16 team placed a fighting fourth in the Fiba Asia U16 Championships recently in Johor Bahru, Malaysia.
“Philippine basketball has not had this shot in the arm in a long while,”said Eala,who added the 108-team Nokia NBTC D-League sponsored by San Miguel Pure Foods Company, Smart Communications and Burlington has allowed aspiring players to learn and be better basketball players.
Eala pointed out to the important function of the Nokia NBTC, which is to be the feeder program to the men’s team. The Nokia NBTC D-League is also geared towards the development fundamentally-sound players for leagues like the UAAP, NCAA, PBL, PBA and the Liga Pilipinas.
Nokia Philippine country manager Benoit Nalin, who received the championship trophy from the team coached by Eric Altamirano with Kiefer Ravena as team captain said:“basketball is not only for physical exercise, but also teaches players respect, fairness and national pride.”
Nokia marketing head Sandeep Khanna said the league is the company’s way to giving back to the Filipino youth while TAO Corporation president Jun Sy said the worthwhile endeavor is a way of building a better nation through basketball.
The tournament will have an inter-city, regional and national finals, the latter of which is set in May 2010 at the Ynares Sports Arena in Pasig City.
The national finals will feature four teams from NCR contesting the NCR title and eight teams from the provinces battling it out for the national title.
No comments:
Post a Comment