Arwind Santos is hopeful that the next generations of basketball stars will come from Pampanga.
To be more specific, he proudly claimed he would be a product of the National Basketball Championship (NBC) Inter-High – the newly formed basketball league for boys 19-under students from private schools and colleges which he supervised as Commissioner.
‘Nakikita ko sa inyo ang enthusiasm na makapaglaro para sa inyong eskwelahan at mabigyan ng karangalan ang inyong pamilya. Hindi malayong marating ninyo ang narating ng isang Arwind Santos, basta pakatandaan ninyo na magdasal, maging disiplinado at matutong tumanaw ng utang na loob sa mga taong tumulong at umalalay sa atin sa panahon na tayo ay wala,” stressed the basketball icon as he welcomes players from eight participating schools for the Pampanga elimination of the fledging tournament.
“Share ko ang aking naging karanasan. Hindi ko narating ang tagumpay na ito kung hindi ako naging disiplinado. Dapat walang bisyo, walang alak, hindi dapat nagsusugal. Kailangan focus sa training at paglalaro at higit sa lahat magdasal tayo for guidance at tanawin natin ang mga taong nakatulong sa atin para maging matagumpay,” added the 9-time PBA champion and one-time Most Valuable Player.
Santos was officially named Commissioner of the tournament during the media conference on Sunday at the Don Bosco Academy in Mabalacat. The event was graced by the men and women behind this nationwide talent search led by Jams Entertainment Corporation Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jojo Flores.
“Nagpapasalamat ako kay Boss Jojo (Flores) at ginawa akong partner sa napakagandang programang ito. Malaking maitutulong nito sa mga kabataan dahil may venue na silang mapaglalaro at napakalawak ng reach dahil sa platform na JamsapTV at sa Jams Sports Facebook page,” added Santos, currently playing for Pampanga Giant Lanterns in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) mentored by his ‘Godfather’ Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda.
The NBCIH unfolds on Friday (Oct. 13) with a heavy four-game bill at the Gov. Bren Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando. The eight participating schools are St. Augustine Institute of Pampanga, Don Bosco Academy, St. Vincent Academy of Apalit, Sta. Cruz Academy-Lubao, Pampanga Colleges, Holy Angel University, St Mary’s Academy-Guagua, and Guagua National College.
Games will be shown on Jamsap TV, the newest app which can be downloaded on Android gadgets and very soon on IoS devices. It also streamed on Jams Sports' official Facebook page.
“We are hoping the NBCIH can help young athletes fulfill or jumpstart their dreams of earning college scholarships while pursuing their passion for the game,” said Flores.
“At simula pa lang itong Pampanga. We already scheduled games in the National Capital Region and other provinces. Nationwide ang ating focus and we targeted the participation of more than 200 schools,” added Flores, an avid basketball fan.
After Pampanga, the qualifying round will also be happening in Manila and 15 other areas in Luzon – Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Cagayan Valley, Isabela, Ilocos, Pangasinan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, and Albay. At the same time, included in the Visayas and Mindanao stops were Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Negros Oriental, Iloilo, Bacolod, Capiz, Aklan, Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Surigao, Zamboanga, Davao City, Iligan and Misamis.
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