Powerhouse basketball teams in Western Visayas will try to eke-out each other as the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) 3×3 Regional Finals unfolds in Iloilo City later this month.
Teams from Iloilo, Guimaras, Antique, Aklan, Capiz, and Negros Occidental will clash in the week-long event to earn the rights to represent Region 6 in the national scene.
Seven teams from Negros Occidental are expected to compete, following their victories in the Negros Occidental/Bacolod qualification tournament last weekend at the St. John’s Institute gym in Bacolod City.
STI-West Negros University and University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R), along with two teams from the University of St. La Salle, qualified on the boys’ side; while the girls’ side will be representing Bacolod City National High School, P413, and UNO-R.
To recall, the Negros Occidental girls’ 3×3 basketball team finished in second place at the SBP 3×3 national finals after losing to Cagayan de Oro City last year.
The regional winners will get the chance to represent Western Visayas in an all-expense-paid trip to the National Finals on October 26-29 in Metro Manila.
Headed by Negros Occidental SBP Director Tony Agustin, the Negros Occidental leg is supported by Coach Tata Belangel while the Antique eliminations are led by Jojo Pardico supported by the Provincial and Tibiao local officials as well as schools in the province.
Region 6 SBP Director Robert L. Uy said the tournament will be competitive as all teams wanted to win the top spot. The top 20 countries that will have the highest points will punch a ticket to the 2020 Tokyo Olympics 3×3.
“This is SBP’s way of granting every Filipino’s dream to see the Philippines represented in the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. We want to develop our teams and hopefully, witness them playing against bigger and stronger squads around the world,” he added.IMT
