PSL goes global

The Pilipinas Super League has taken a bold first step towards becoming a basketball superpower. Yesterday’s dramatic finals of the week-long PSL Global Championship Challenge was proof that Filipinos can, indeed, unite through their common passion, basketball.

With participating teams from Italy, the US, Canada, the UK, New Zealand, Thailand and of course, the Philippines, seeing action in three age groups, it was truly a first of its kind. In fact, in the National Finals held the week before, no teams from the National Capital Region or NCR survived. Instead, Pampanga, Cebu and Davao all emerged as the country’s representatives in the born 2008 (16 years old and below), born 2006 (18 and below) and born 2014 (20 and below) categories. A lot of great talent was on full display, jet lag notwithstanding.

The games were fast, frenetic and maddening, full of fastbreaks and assorted spectacular plays mixed with young-player errors. If you were a coach, matches were both thrilling and excruciating. Players would unselfishly make passes that lead to scores in one instance, then get called for traveling the next. You didn’t know what to expect.

Overall, it was an impressive community-building exercise. Some of these kids met their relatives in the motherland for the first time. Six of the teams experienced playing in Araneta Coliseum. Most tasted true home-cooked sinigang or adobo (and of course, the ubiquitous Jollibee). Many made fellow Filipino friends from other countries. And naturally, they gave their all on the basketball court.

The PSL Global Championship Challenge has sent a positive message to Filipinos around the world. It brings together important values: family, unity and love for sport. What more could you ask for?