Davao coaches break Jr. NBA records for coaches clinic attendance

250 coaches came from all over Davao Province to attend the coaches clinic of the 2009-10 Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Hi-Smart Multivitamins at the Montaῆa Gym in Davao City – the largest attendance ever for coaches in the Jr. NBA’s three year run in the country . The Jr. NBA program is the first-ever international basketball event in Davao.



“I have never seen such a passionate and enthusiastic crowd,” said Frank Lopez, US Jr. NBA Coach who ran the coaches clinic here and who will conduct the school tryouts on January 22 at the Holy Child School in Jacinto, Davao City.



“The coaches’ presence here in record numbers is proof that basketball is really big in Davao and that the NBA was right in bringing the program over here,” added Carlo Singson, Senior Country Manager of NBA Asia.



The Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Hi-Smart Multivitamins is in Davao for the very first time, responding to a clamor from local coaches to bring the one-of-a-kind basketball clinic that targets not just players but also parents, coaches and school officials to Mindanao. This has made the National Basketball Association’s youth basketball development program a truly nationwide NBA endeavor.



Davao City Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte, through a prepared speech read by his representative, said the clinic “will be the gateway for learning best basketball techniques from an NBA coach and an opportunity to test the skills, abilities and drive of the local basketball community”. Davao City has taken on sports as one of its priorities, he said, and sports plays a very vital role in promoting and sustaining sports development in the City.”



After the coaches clinic and the school tryouts today the next phase of the program is the Regional Selection Camp which will be held at the Ateneo de Davao court on Sunday, March 14. All kids aged 12-14 in Davao City and Mindanao are invited to attend. The first 200 kids are assured of slots in the program.



At the camp the kids will learn new skills, drills and the Jr. NBA S.T.A.R. values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect. They will also undergo NBA-style skills tests and challenges that other Jr. NBA aspirants all over the world undergo. The best performers in the Davao Regional Selection Camp will qualify for the Jr. NBA National Training Camp and will be sent to Manila to compete with other selected campers from Cebu and Manila. The National Training Camp will be held in April in Manila.



The Jr. NBA Philippines Program presented by Hi-Smart Multivitamins was introduced into the country in early 2007 to 16 Metro Manila private and public schools initially, and was expanded to reach 200 schools and 20,000 participants in Manila and Cebu in 2008-09. This year it has targeted 300 schools and approximately 30,000 students in a nationwide campaign.



The Jr. NBA Philippines effort is completely free for all participants at all stages and is presented by Hi-Smart Multivatiamins with the support of Official Sports Drink Gatorade, Official Broadcast Partner Basketball TV, Official Automobile Partner Mitsubishi Motors, Official Mall Partner SM Supermalls, Official Supplier Spalding, and the Department of Education.



Local school coaches and Filipino boys ages 12 to 14 can register for the program for free through the Jr. NBA event website www.nba.com/jrnba/philippines





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About Hi-Smart Multivitamins and New Marketlink

Hi-Smart Multivitami\ns is marketed by New Marketlink Pharmaceutical Corporation, one of the leading national pharmaceutical companies in the Philippines. New Marketlink seeks to become the preferred marketing partner of a variety of international healthcare companies in providing Filipinos with specialized, high quality and value-for-money medicines and health products.



New Marketlink Pharmaceutical Corporation, fueled and propelled by the holding company, TAO Corporation, is poised to undertake bold moves to further establish the new company as a respected leader in the pharmaceutical industry and become a valuable component of TAO Corporation’s mission of building communities and people.



New Marketlink supports the Jr. NBA program by providing Hi-Smart Multivitamins products which assist in the physical and mental development of kids and teenagers who want to achieve their basketball dreams and to help them become a Jr. NBA S.T.A.R. on and off the court.



About the NBA

The NBA, founded in 1946, is a professional sports league and global business that features 30 teams in the United States and Canada. During the 2009-10 season, NBA games will reach 215 countries and territories in 41 languages. The league’s worldwide reach is also displayed in the 83 international players from 36 countries and territories on NBA rosters. NBA merchandise is sold in more than 100,000 stores in 100 countries on six continents. NBA.com averages more than 26 million page views per day, with more than 50 percent of the site’s visitors coming from outside of North America. Through NBA Cares, the league, its teams and players have donated more than $115 million to charity, provided more than one million hours of hands-on service to communities around the world, and created more than 440 places where kids and families can live, learn, or play.



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Issued by NBA Asia, Limited. For more information, please contact:



NBA

Ip Kam Hung Phone: 852-2843 9628 E-mail: khip@nba.com

Larc&Asset PR

Tessa Jazmines Phone: 63-917 526 1369 E-mail: tessa@larcandasset.com

Pawnbrokers stop Pacman, 103-94 in RRD-Inday Kadayawan cagefest final

Pacman’s Louie Medalla (left) eludes Montana’s Robert Allan Quibod in the 2008 Mayor Rody and Vice Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Kadayawan Commercial Basketball Tournament, Sunday night, at the well-attended Davao City Recreation Center. Montana won, 103-94.




Montana Pawnshop Davao stopped a late rally by the Manny Pacquiao Warriors to win the final game, 103-94 of the 2008 Mayor Rody and Vice Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Kadayawan Commercial Basketball Tournament, Sunday night, at the well-attended Davao City Recreation Center.

Ronald Lamocha powered the Pawnbrokers with 30 points and received the most valuable player trophy of the four-day competition.

John Gonzaga, Louie Medalla, who tallied 17 points, apiece for the Pacquiao Warriors, and Jaypee Locsin tried to rally their teammates in the last one minute and 31 seconds as they trailed, 89-95 but Lamocha and Marvin Poloyapoy made the needed shots to keep the Warriors from the snaring the title.

The Davao Collegiate All-Stars placed third in the tournament sanctioned by BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas regional director Regino “Boy” Cua.

Davao City Councilor Edgar R. Ibuyan (1^st district) awarded the prizes to the winners.

The scores:

Montana Pawnshop Davao (103)- Lamocha 30, Fernandez 27, Sta.Cruz 18, Clavel 10, Poloyapoy 7, Ayson 7, Quibod 5, Dawal 5, Maniego 2.

Manny Pacquiao Warriors (94)- Gonzaga 17, Medalla 17, Recustudio 13, Sagad 12, Locsin 9, Dagcutan 9, Mejorada 8, Coronado 7, Ramos 2.

Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware play Montana Pawnshop in finals

The Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware will play the Montana Pawnbrokers in the finals of the 2008 Mayor RRD-Araw ng Dabaw Basketball Tournament on Sunday afternoon at the Davao City Recreation Center.

Game time is at 5:30 p.m.

M.Lhuillier Kwarta Padala of Cebu City meets the Zamboanga Latinos for third place at 4 p.m.

The awarding ceremony will immediately follow after the finals to be led by Vice Mayor Sara Duterte, City Sports Coordinator Christopher "Bong" Go and BAP-Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas Regional Director Regino "Boy" Cua.

Pawnbrokers defeats Latinos, MLKP stops Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware

The Montana Pawnbrokers defeated the Zamboanga Latinos, 89-62 in the opening of the round-robin format of 2008 Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Basketball Tournament, Thursday night, at the Davao City Recreation Center.

M.Lhuillier Kwarta Padala of Cebu City stopped the Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware, 71-69, in the other game.

Entrance is free at the gym.

The games will be played until Sunday afternoon starting at 5 p.m.

MLKP Cebu, Montana Davao, Duterte Agilas-Goldstar, Zamboanga square off

M.Lhuillier Kwarta Padala arrived on Thursday morning to complete the four-team event of the 2008 Mayor Rodrigo R. Duterte-Araw ng Dabaw Basketball Tournament on Thursday afternoon at the Davao City Recreation Center.

The Cebuanos will face two Davao teams, the Montana Pawnshop and Duterte Agilas-Goldstar Hardware and the visiting Zamboanga Latinos.

Games will be played every 5 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. until Sunday, March 16.

The visiting Philippine Air Force arrived in Davao with an inferior line up that forced organizers to field the squad to the commercial B tournament against Goldstar and PhilHealth.

Toyota Balintawak downs Montaña Davao, 97-95

Games on January 31 – New Cebu Coliseum
4:30PM Battle for Third Place
6:00PM Championship

CEBU CITY – Teams from Metro Manila’s Philippine Basketball League (PBL) survived their respective bruising knockout matches Tuesday and advance to the crossover semifinals of the 2008 M. Lhuillier Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Sinulog Cup at the New Cebu Coliseum.

The Pharex Medics routed Hotel Fortuna-Boljoon, 107-79, while the Toyota-Balintawak Road Kings tripped Montaña Pawnshop-Davao in the nightcap, 97-95. The Medics will face defending champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City while the Road Kings drew Fifth Avenue Telecoms in the semifinals being completed last night at press time.

Guard Pocholo Villanueva essayed a superb performance down the stretch to lift the Road Kings of Coach Ariel Vanguardia. Villanueva intercepted the ball and was promptly fouled with nine seconds to play, sinking both freebies to push the Road Kings further ahead, 95-91. Roland Lamocha scored on a follow-up of a Marvin Poloyapoy missed triple to threaten for the last time, 93-95. In the ensuing sequence, Villanueva drew a foul from Poloyapoy and then iced the game with two more charities and four ticks remaining, 97-93. Rocky Clavel settled the final score with a lay-up at the buzzer.

The good game was marred by a bench-clearing rumble with 3:01 left in the third quarter and the Road Kings comfortably on top, 68-54. Jonathan Aldave and Ryan Abañes wrestled position while waiting for a rebound play resulting in both guards falling to the floor, triggering the melee. Timely intervention by MVBA officials prevented the incident from blowing up any further. Aldave and Abañes were immediately thrown out from the game.

Fired up, Montaña of Armando Quibod and Coach Nic Serafica rallied and seized the lead on a reverse lay-up by Michael Manigo with 2:50 left in the final canto, 86-85. Their celebration was short-lived as Frederick Rodriguez restored the lead to the Road Kings and Villanueva stole the inbound pass en route to an easy lay-up for an 89-86 advantage. In ensuing lull, Henry Fernandez was slapped with a technical foul for elbowing Villanueva during the earlier sequence, sending him to the foul line for two more free throws, 91-86, and 2:11 to play.

Villanueva led the Road Kings with 17 points, 12 coming in the crucial fourth quarter. Bryan Faundo followed with 11. Lamocha paced Montaña with 22 points while Clavel added 11.

The first game also had its share of action. With 4:53 to go in the second period, Randy Sevilla bit into a fake by Jam Alfad, resulting in Sevilla planting an elbow that opened a cut on the Pharex enforcer’s head. Alfad reacted by pushing Sevilla, prompting both referees to slap disqualifying fouls on the two. The Medics of Coach Carlo Tan were on top, 37-23. As both teams were exiting towards their dugouts for the halftime break, Alfad rushed to Sevilla. Luckily for both, Pharex and MVBA officials quickly restrained Alfad.

The Medics blew the game wide open in the third quarter, erecting their first 20-point margin, 65-45, on back-to-back baskets by Sean Co. Hotel Fortuna coach Elmer Cabahug then turned to Restycel Getubig and 6’11” Gregory Slaughter to keep their side in contention.

Slaughter opened the fourth quarter with a three-point play that put Hotel Fortuna at its closest, 64-74. However, the Medics countered with a 13-0 blast that delivered the knockout blow, 87-64, and still 6:30 on the clock.

Richard Ian Saladaga paced Pharex with 20 markers followed by Ronnie Matias with 13. Getubig, a Cagayan de Oro Rapid during the MVBA’s maiden season, led Hotel Fortuna with 21 while Slaughter knocked in 14.

How They Scored:

PHAREX (107) – Saladaga 20, Matias 13, Gerilla 12, Co 12, de Guzman 11, Alfad 10, Oreta 10, Bulawan 9, Villamin 7, Bughao 3.

HOTEL FORTUNA-BOLJOON (79) – Getubig 21, Slaughter 14, Berame 12, Lanete 9, Sevilla 6, Diputado 5, Lao 4, Paglinawan 2, Dennison 2, Nicanor 2, Sendrijas 2, Luga 0, Cincoflores 0.

Period Scores: 26-16, 47-35, 74-61, 107-79.
* * *
TOYOTA-BALINTAWAK (97) – Villanueva 17, Faundo 11, Cabahug 10, Santa Maria 9, Ortiguerra 8, Balgos 8, Rodriguez 8, Sena 6, Hayes 5, Dedicatoria 5, Guerrero 5, Jaime 3, Aldave 2, Tan 0, Retaga 0.

MONTAÑA-DAVAO (95) – Lamocha 20, Clavel 15, Fernandez 14, Abañes 8, Santa Cruz 8, Dawal 7, Quibod 6, Guiyab 5, Poloyapoy 3, Braga 3, Manigo 2, Jawod 2, Ayson 0, Endrinal 0.

Period Scores: 23-24, 52-40, 72-63, 97-95.

Montaña Davao bows to MLKP Cebu, 107-116

Games on January 30 – New Cebu Coliseum (Semifinal Round)
4:30PM M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City vs. Hotel Fortuna-Boljoon/Pharex Medics
6:00PM Fifth Avenue Telecoms vs. Montaña Pawnshop-Davao/Toyota-Balintawak

CEBU CITY –Both games needed an extra period in the thrilling second day of the M. Lhuillier Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) Sinulog Cup Monday night at the New Cebu Coliseum.

In the first game, defending champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-Cebu City leaned the heroics of Dale Singson to whip Montaña Pawnshop-Davao, 116-107. In the second game, it was the turn of Ferdinand Go to bail out Fifth Avenue Telecoms and beat Hotel Fortuna-Boljoon, 103-99.

Monday’s winners remained undefeated in two games and thus earned automatic seats in today’s crossover semifinals of the tournaments sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP).

Singson hit a booming triple with six seconds to play in regulation that tied the count at 100-100. In the extension, Singson sizzled with five markers and Marlon Basco shot steadily from the foul line and completed a three-point play off Harold Santa Cruz with 1:28 remaining for an unassailable 113-107 M. Lhuillier advantage.

M. Lhuillier of Michel Lhuillier and Coach Raul Alcoseba actually rallied from five points down with 37 seconds left in regulation. Former M. Lhuillier stalwart Michael Manigo canned two free throws off Bruce Dacia for a 100-95 tally. Singson quickly scored a basket to threaten, 97-100, and the Jewelers immediately sent Montaña center Arden Guiyab to the stripe at the 14-second mark. Guiyab bungled both shots to set the stage for Singson’s game-tying triple.

Basco and Dacia shared scoring honors for M. Lhuillier with 24 points each. Henry Fernandez powered Montaña of Armando Quibod and Coach Nic Serafica with 32 points while Ryan Abañes was the only other player in double figures with 15.

In the second game, Go nearly turned goat as he missed a free throw with 22 ticks left in regulation to keep Fifth Avenue ahead, 89-86. In the ensuing sequence, Morsie Akad converted a triple at the 10-second mark to send the game into overtime, 89-89.

In the overtime, the Hotel Fortuna quintet of Coach Elmer Cabahug opened with an 8-0 run. However, Fifth Avenue countered with a 9-0 run of their own capped by Go redeeming himself with a triple that pushed his side on top for, 100-97, and 28 seconds left.

Hotel Fortuna did not give up, with Von Harry Lanete threatening with two charities off Jeff Sanders, 99-100. Chris Diputado then fouled Mark Yee at the nine-second mark and the gamble paid off as Yee split his gift shots, 101-99. Collaring the defensive rebound and a golden chance to tie or go ahead, Hotel Fortuna issued a wild pass that sailed out of bounds. Yee was again fouled and this time made both free throws for the final count.

Yee and Sanders topped Fifth Avenue of Mike Dullas and playing coach Junel Mendiola with 18 points each. Akad paced Hotel Fortuna with 20 markers followed by Rino Berame with 19 points and 11 rebounds. The game also marked the commercial league debut of 6’11” Gregory Slaughter, who was part of the starting five and finished with four points.

How They Scored:

M. LHUILLIER-CEBU (116) – Basco 24, Dacia 24, Enriquez 14, Singson 14, Capati 13, Padilla 12, Cavan 8, Bat-og 3, Llanto 2, Aying 2.

MONTAÑA-DAVAO (107) – Fernandez 32, Abañes 15, Clavel 9, Poloyapoy 8, Ayson 8, Lamocha 8, Santa Cruz 7, Guiyab 6, Quibod 5, Manigo 4, Braga 3, Jawod 2, Dawal 0.

Period Scores: 26-25, 52-43, 71-68, 100-100 (reg.), 116-107 (OT).
* * *
FIFTH AVENUE (103) – Yee 18, Sanders 18, Go 13, Malabanan 13, Vergara 12, Salangsang 10, Lim 5, Labagala 4, David 3, Zagala 2, Moody 2, Litonjua 2, Buenaventura 1.

HOTEL FORTUNA-BOLJOON (99) – Akad 20, Berame 19, Sevilla 15, Dennison 14, Diputado 14, Lanete 4, Slaughter 4, Sendrijas 4, Lao 3, Luga 2, Paglinawan 0, Cincoflores 0, Getubig 0.

Period Scores: 22-19, 44-44, 67-67, 89-89 (reg.), 103-99 (OT).(Anthony Servinio)