ML Kwarta Padala and CYBL 2010

Cebu Basketball’s calendar of activities is off to a flying start with the games of the CESAFI Partner’s Cup and National Basketball Training Center (NBTC). Both leagues showcase Cebu’s best collegiate and high school teams, and are stepping stones towards a possible career in basketball. And today, the calendar just got busier with the launch of the Cebu Youth Basketball League’s (CYBL) ML Kwarta Padala Cup.

But what’s the difference among the three tournaments? It’s all about ages and the way these are designed to help Cebu Basketball. The CESAFI collegiate division handles players between 18 to 24 years old, while CESAFI high school teams are composed of players 18 and below. Meanwhile, the NBTC is a national tournament featuring players between 16-18 years old. And to complete the whole picture, the CYBL features players in three age groups: 16-Under, 13-Under, and 10-Under. Welcome to Cebu Basketball: grassroots and youth development slowly but surely humming together to make Cebu Basketball a power once again.

Seeing all these as a backdrop, the CYBL tapped a partner who’s going to help it reach its goals. ML Kwarta Padala. Sports fans already know what “ML” stands for. Yes, it’s the M. Lhuillier of the nationwide chain of jewelry shops and financial services. Known for their long involvement in basketball through the M. Lhuillier Jewelers and now the ML Kwarta Padala/Cebu Niños, the Lhuillier franchise is supporting the CYBL’s pitch for youth basketball. For the record, they also have a youth sports program for football where they manage the ML sports Development Foundation (MLSDF) that churned out the Carmen football team before and the Canduman Elementary School football team today.

Today marks the launch of the ML Kwarta Padala Cup of the CYBL featuring a heavy seven game kick-off day featuring Cebu’s top youth basketball teams at the Sacred Heart School Jesuit Mango Campus Gym. The tournament features 21 teams spread over the three age groups (16, 13 and 10 Under). Cebu’s major school-based youth programs will be present in the tournament. Already in are USC South, USC North, SHS-J, USJ-R/Ave Maria Sanctuary, CIT, PAREF Springdale and Southwestern University.

Many sportsmen and basketball “analysts” have always talked about the need for grassroots development and concrete programs for the youth. For us in Cebu, this is one of the missing links that will hopefully and finally be filled up by the completion of the age group series of games. For the first time in a long time, we now have tournaments featuring players as young as eight years old all the way to 24 years old adults in college. While it’s relatively easy to find supporter for collegiate and high school basketball, it’s been a challenge for youth sports. Milo and Primuvit are there for the Milo BEST and FBL, respectively, but both are Manila-based programs being run for national advertisers. No Cebu-based supporter has come out to lend a hand to kids basketball. But this could now be a thing of the past. ML Kwarta Padala now has the opportunity to own the Cebu youth basketball scene with its partnership with the CYBL, a three-year old league that was launched over a round of beer among basketball enthusiasts. After three years of a tough start and overcoming the usual birth pains, the CYBL hopes this could be the start of bigger things to come. The most crucial benefit that this brings is that the entire age spectrum of Cebu Basketball is now complete. The CYBL will now work hard with other youth leagues to provide a venue for skills development and produce players who will be ripe by the time they play juniors (high school) basketball. The scene is nothing new. As a benchmark, the Manila basketball scene is literally overcrowded with a lot of programs and activities for youth basketball. This is one of the main reasons why Manila’s high school programs are so strong. The products that they get are already trained, developed and exposed to the game.

It’s a long way to go to get to what Manila has achieved. But if we work together, we can get things done. That’s what ML Kwarta Padala is getting into with its partnership with the CYBL, and I’m sure they won’t go wrong.

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Time-out: Happy Birthday to his Eminence Ricardo Cardinal Vidal (yesterday). >>> The so-called “opening” of the new bridge in Cansaga Bay has turned out to be a big joke. It isn’t even open at all. Looks like GMA’s ribbon cutting was just a mere PR gimmick, but fooling the public is not good PR. >>> You can reach me at [email protected].