MANILA — The Community Basketball Association (CBA)-Bicol hopes to discover more outstanding young players from the province in the mold of two-time PBA MVP William “Bogs” Adornado and Elpidio “Bicolano Superman” Villamin.
To do this, CBA will go deep to the grassroots to look for fresh talents and then give them the opportunity to show their skills against each other.
“This is what the CBA-Bicol hopes to achieve with our inaugural tournament set to begin this month,” said CBA-Bicol Governor Edper Brojan during the 25th “Usapang Sports” presented by the Tabloids Organization in Philippine Sports (TOPS) at the National Press Club in Intramuros last Thursday (June 6).
“We have produced a lot of good players from Bicol. Bogs Adornado is from Legazpi City. Yoyoy Villamin is from Camarines Norte, Dante Gonzalgo and Chris Cantonjos are from Sorsogon and Gil Lumberio is from Naga. Ato Morano and Homer Se also come from Albay,” added Brojan.
“Siguradong madami pang magagaling na players ang makikita natin thru CBA-Bicol (For sure we can discover talented players through CBA-Bicol),” he said.
Metro Naga Water District general manager Engr. Virgilio Luansing also welcomed the opportunity to join CBA-Bicol, saying sports will also help in the promotion of the entire region.
“Sa sports, madali magkaisa. Gaya sa team namin na kasali dito sa CBA, tulung-tulong kami. Madami may puso sa sports. Madaming kaibigan na handang tumulong (In sports, it’s easy to unite. CBA teams will help each other. There are a lot of friends who wanted to help),” Luansing explained.
Luansing said his team -- the MNWD Water Borne -- will field all homegrown players who have the talent to make it to the CBA National Finals.
“We just won the Naga City basketball league and our team is also presently competing in two other Bicol-wide leagues,” said Luansing in the weekly forum supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, National Press Club, Pagcor, Community Basketball Association and HG Guyabano Tea Leaf Drinks.
In the CBA-Bicol, six teams have initially answered the call in the first conference.
“We already have six teams -- two in Naga, two in Albay (Legazpi City and Tabaco City) and one from Masbate and one from Sorsogon,” he said.
“This is actually a test tournament for us. We expect that more teams will join us in the next conference,” he added.
Asked about the venues of the tournaments, Brojan said the 7,000-seater Jesse Robredo Coliseum in Naga will be the main hub, along with the two coliseums in Legazpi and the 2,000-seater Masbate gym.
Joining Brojan and Luansing were CBA-Malabon team owner Rinbert Galarde, CBA “Best Player of the Month” awardee Darwin Lunar of Caloocan-St.Clare College and top Bicol players Andrei Lano and Ernest Magalona.
Galarde discussed the CBA: Next 18 years old and under developmental basketball tournament.
“After the Open tournament, we will have this 18-under tournament for all 16 member-teams. Dito bibigyan natin ng pagkakataon yun mga batang players na makapaglaro naman sa isang competitive na liga (Here we will give young players a chance to play in a competitive league),” added Galarde, also the manager of Arceegee Sports Wear. (PR)
