A record-breaking 1,479 young athletes from all over Mindanao showed up at this year’s first Regional Selection Camp of Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 presented by Alaska held on February 11 and 12 at Xavier University.
After experiencing the various progressive basketball drills and scrimmages, the following ruled the boys division:
- Jezreel Aton, 13, of Bethel Baptist Christian Academy
- Khen Caduyac, 13, of Corpus Christi
- Stephen Jebson Garcia, 13, of Corpus Cristi
- John Anthony Melgazo, 14, of Bukidnon National High School
- Jerald Orestes, 13, of Bukidnon National High School
- Geo Ramos, 13, of Xavier University
- Maverick John Vieto, 13, of San Isidro College
Ruling the girls division were:
- Louise Veronica Agad, 12, of Misamis Oriental General Comprehensive High School (MOGCHS)
- Ella Rae Amulato, 12, of MOGCHS
- Pauline Angelique Valle, 12, of MOGCHS
- September Star Padla, 13, of Bukidnon State University
- Giordana Tagarda, 10, of City Central School
The 12 boys and girls will represent Mindanao in the Jr. NBA Philippines National Training Camp in Manila on May 12 to 14.
These 12 young ballers excelled in the skills stations and exhibition games, exemplifying the Jr. NBA core S.T.A.R. values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect throughout the camp.
The Jr. NBA committee headed by Jr. NBA Coach Craig Brown evaluated the regional finalists.
These kids in Cagayan de Oro listen extremely well and play hard. If they continue to work on the fundamentals that we worked on here over the last two days and really stay committed to the S.T.A.R values which they exuded here this weekend, I think the sky is the limit for these young people,” Brown said.
Some of the young athletes who participated in the two-day camp traveled all the way from Bukidnon, Butuan, Misamis Occidental, and Zamboanga for the opportunity to be selected and advance to the next stages of the league’s global youth basketball participation program.
These children reinforce Alaska’s commitment to promoting sports and outdoor play in the Philippines. It is our mission to nurture young talents and to promote healthy and active lifestyle through sports and outdoor play,” said Wilfred Uytengsu, Alaska Milk Corporation President and CEO.
Based on the 8th National Nutrition Survey in 2013 by the Food and Nutrition Research Institute (FNRI), obesity is one of the most prevalent nutritional problems of Filipino children with about 5 out of 100 Filipino children are overweight.
Given the growing issues on health, Alaska believes there is a need to reinforce its thrust in leading a healthy lifestyle not just by drinking milk but by living actively through sports and other outdoor activities. Alaska seeks to engage the Filipino consumers, especially the youth, through its sports development programs to help nourish children to become champions.
Jr. NBA Philippines 2017 presented by Alaska Regional Selection Camp’s next stop will be Lucena (Feb. 25-26) followed by Cebu (March 11-12) and Manila (April 1-2). Boys and girls ages 10-14 can still register for the free youth basketball program at www.jrnba.asia/philippines, where the program terms and conditions can be found.
Fans can also follow Jr. NBA on Facebook. For all things NBA, fans can visit www.nba.com, like the NBA on Facebook, and follow them on Twitter.
To learn more about the Alaska Milk Corporation, visit www.alaskamilk.com and www.playph.com.
