SBP Passerelle tournament kicks off today

CEBU, Philippines —  The 34th SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament backed by Milo kicks off today with a doubleheader featuring age group powerhouse University of the Visayas at the Sacred Heart School Mango Avenue campus gym.

Defending champion UV faces SHS-Ateneo de Cebu in a rematch of the 2018 finals of the Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) division. The SBP Lancers are fresh from winning the CYBL Summer League, are set to winning a second straight title and a trip back to the national finals where they placed second to national champion La Salle Greenhills.

 Meanwhile, the UV Passerelle team plays Sisters of Mary School-Boystown in a Passerelle division game. UV place second to SHS-Ateneo in 2018 and is also hell-bent to regain their title. A short opening ceremony will kick off hostilities as all teams will be present.

The SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament backed by Milo is one of the longest running basketball leagues for the age group segment. It was established by BEST Center founder Coach Nic Jorge who started the country’s first school for basketball that focused on the basics of the sport.

 The tournament was an offshoot of the clinics with Milo as a partner since the beginning. The tournament adopts the unique rule/format that requires all 15 players of a team to see action. Different sets of five players play in the first three periods of the game, while the fourth period

 is a free-for-all situation for the coach.

The Cebu leg’s teams are Univ. of the Visayas, SHS-Ateneo de Cebu, Don Bosco Technical College Cebu, University of San Carlos, Southwestern University-PHINMA and Sisters of Mary School-Boystown.