A toast for 2014 champions & achievers

It is time once again for this column to give way and recognize and toast the achievements of collegiate athletes during the 2014 season who gave their best to earn honors for their alma mater and also for themselves as the student-players aim not only for academic achievements but also for higher goals in the field of sports.

This column also features sports lovers composed of individuals, schools and entities that made immense contributions to promote and develop sports in their respective school campuses and localities. Through their efforts they aim to discover talents, nurture and mold them thru healthy competitions.

‘A Toast’ for recognition and appreciation

The event, “A Toast,” was held last January 29, 2015, at the 9501 Restaurant, 14th floor, ELJ Bldg. in Quezon City.  Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) and ABS-CBN co-hosted the event where awards of recognition and appreciation were given to the winning teams, to players who excelled in their performance and to those who contributed to the success of the 2014 Champions League (PCCL) National Collegiate Championship, the culmination of the annual search for the best collegiate teams and players.

Manuel V. Pangilinan Perpetual Bronze Sculpture

The annual search for the one national collegiate champion is an objective of PCCL as mandated by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) headed by Manny Pangilinan. The process to determine the best collegiate teams in the country and to recognize the one national collegiate champion involves the participation of more than 30 “mother leagues” nationwide in a multi-level competition.

The symbol of collegiate basketball supremacy is the Manuel V. Pangilinan Perpetual Bronze Sculpture, “Abutin Ang Tagumpay”, where the names of the national champions since 2003 are engraved. The winning school retains the sculpture until a new national champion emerges.

Previous years champions were: DLSU Green Archers (2013 and 2008), UST Growling Tigers (2012), San Sebastian College-Recoletos Golden Stags (2011), Ateneo Blue Eagles (2010, 2009 and 2007), UE Red Warriors (2006 and 2003) and FEU Tamaraws (2005 and 2004).

Meralco & ABS-CBN Sports and Action awards

The different awards handed out were sponsored by Meralco and ABS-CBN Sports and Action as part of these companies’ wide ranging involvement in youth and sports development programs. The different categories of awards are shown below:

Team awards:

San Beda College Red Lions – 2014 National Collegiate Champion

The San Beda Red Lions is just the second NCAA team to win the national title next to the San Sebastian College-Recoletos Golden Stags who won in 2011. The school will keep for one year the “Abutin Ang Tagumpay” M. V. Pangilinan Perpetual Bronze Sculpture, the symbol of collegiate basketball supremacy.

The De La Salle University Green Archers, last year’s champion, finished as runner-up, followed by the University of Visayas Green Lancers and the University of San Carlos Warriors, as third and fourth placers respectively. 

Breakthrough Performance Award is conferred to teams that came up with breakthrough games that enable them to achieve higher level of performance in regional and in their respective mother league competitions. Recipients of the award were the Naga City College Foundation Tigers, first time South Luzon-Bicol region champion, the Arellano University Chiefs, first time to qualify as Elite Eight, and the National University Bulldogs, UAAP champion after several decades of frustration.

The Grinder Award goes to the team that rose to prominence as a major contender from the qualifying games all the way to Elite Eight and Premier Four Finals. Kudos to the University of Visayas Green Lancers.

Individual Awards:

Model National Collegiate Player of the Year Award, the highest honor that PCCL confers to players, is given to the collegiate player who during his collegiate playing years combined academic and sports achievements attaining college education whilst playing competitively at high standards of performance and sportsmanship making the awardee worthy for emulation as a role model of an accomplished collegiate athlete dedicated to his game and in acquiring education.

Glen Khobuntin of National University Bulldogs is the Model National Collegiate Player 2014. The previous awardees were Nonoy Baclao (2009) Junmar Fajardo (2010), Kirk Long (2011), Nico Salva (2012), and Rom dela Rosa (2013).

The Game Changer Award is given to the player whose leadership and level of basketball skill impacted on every game he played as a member of the national collegiate champion, the San Beda College Red Lions. Congratulations to Baser Amer.

Special mention awards:

The Hospitality Award is in recognition of professionally organizing and hosting qualifying games among league champions in their respective area and successfully promoting the event for the benefit of local basketball fans. The winners of this award for 2014 are: First Asia Institute of Technology and Humanities of Tanauan City, Batangas, Mayor John Bongat of the City Government of Naga, Sports Association of Negros Oriental (SANO), and Lyceum Northwestern University.                  

Chairman’s Special Merit Awardees

For 2014, PCCL Board of Trustees approved the granting of the Chairman’s Special Appreciation Awards to two deserving recipients, namely:

• Frank Gusi, NCAA Management Team Member and Athletic Moderator of San Sebastian College-Recoletos, for his unwavering support to the PCCL in pursuing the objective of upgrading a school-based basketball program through annual competitions among the best collegiate teams nationwide; and for his valuable contribution to the San Sebastian College-Recoletos sports program by specifically providing guidance and motivation to the Golden Stags that became the first NCAA team to win the national title in 2011 National Collegiate Championship; and

• Ada Maida Carlos-Bayuga, ABS-CBN Executive Producer, for her untiring efforts and attention to details, ensuring consistent high standards of on-the-spot coverage of PCCL games held in various locations nationwide; and for her valuable assistance in enhancing the awareness and image of PCCL through quality television production of the game coverages.

Basketball-loving sponsors

PCCL is a non-profit association. Funding for the conduct of the nationwide competition is provided by basketball-loving sponsors, namely, ABS-CBN Sports and Action, Meralco, Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, Molten Balls, FilOil Flying V, Philippine Star and SM Tickets. These are the entities that make the search for the best collegiate teams in the country a reality.

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