CESAFI at 10

Power and dominance. These are two strong words that the CESAFI is using as a theme for its tenth year. Is it proper, timely and correct?For starters, there is no doubt that the CESAFI is easily the biggest show in the local basketball circuit. No other basketball activity is bigger and draws the kind of following that the CESAFI brings with it. The Cebu Coliseum is filled to the rafters at every playoff game, especially the semis and finals. At yesterday’s launch, the annual “Palabas” and opening program filled up the Cebu Coliseum as it does every year, followed by two games. And so through the months of August, September and early October, the talk of the town will always be about CESAFI basketball. The plots to follow this season are 1) whether or not the University of the Visayas (UV) can score a tenth straight championship and 2) if Junmar Fajardo can finally take UC to the top and break the nine-year dominance of UV. Powerful and dominant the CESAFI is on local shores indeed.

If you want to stretch it further, we can already assume that the CESAFI is also the biggest outside of Manila. No other league in the Vismin and the rest of Luzon can probably match CESAFI’s power. And this brings us to next logical step. Where are we, when compared to the UAAP and NCAA, the acknowledged 1-2 punch of all collegiate leagues in the country? Power and dominance will now have to be taken to the next level unless the CESAFI is already content with just being a big fish in a small pond. As a benchmark, we already see how popular the UAAP and NCAA are in terms of reach. They are no longer just Manila-based leagues. Both have a nationwide clout that has fans following the La Salle-Ateneo rivalry from Luzon to Mindanao. Nationwide TV coverage over ABS-CBN has been a big boost to build each its own brand and we now see how they’ve even grown to outdo the PBA in terms of live and TV audience numbers. Now isn’t that power? Dominance?

This is where the CESAFI finds itself as it enters its tenth year. And it’s only proper that the power and dominance theme now be taken a notch higher. CESAFI Commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy Jr. has mentioned that he’d like to see the CESAFI excel at the national level, more particularly at the Philippine Collegiate Champions’ League (PCCL). It’s the only venue where the best of the best from all over the country converge to determine who’s who in college ball. Unfortunately for us, our performance has regressed ever since the Champions’ League was launched. UV made it to the Final Four twice (thrice if I’m not mistaken), but the past two years haven’t been kind. All of CESAFI’s teams were eliminated in the first round (Sweet 16) of the PCCL last season, including the UV Lancers. If there’s an upside to it, at least we now know where we stand. Let’s just see this as a major opportunity area that needs to be addressed so that we can take CESAFI’s power and dominance to where it really counts the most: up there with the big boys. The next step to take is developing the activities and programs that will take us there.

Are we up to the challenge? The irony of it all is that this shouldn’t be a case of only the CESAFI doing it all. This demands a more comprehensive approach that includes grassroots development, a comprehensive calendar of basketball activities (similar to that of Manila) and massive recruitment. Grassroots development down to the youth age groups will provide a venue for potential talents to hone themselves in a wide base of basketball activities, inter-school or otherwise. This should be supported by basketball activities galore since competitions are the most effective way of bringing out the best in our talents. Recruitment is now a must, especially since Cebu doesn’t have the monopoly of all the best players in the south. There are more talents out there who still haven’t been given the break to show their stuff. Let’s find them, bring them over and help them develop their talent and skills. Are we ready to do all these?

Good luck and bon voyage. CESAFI’s power and dominance has now taken a new route.

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Time-out: Happy birthday to Carlo Veloso! >>> You can reach me at [email protected].