Belle heads backers of student caging

Seeking to give Philippine sports a big boost, sports-minded business concerns have come to the rescue of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) in pushing through the 54th National Students Championship slated at the San Luis Sports Complex in the capital town of Sta. Cruz, Laguna Feb. 27-March 4.

Real estate entity Belle Corporation and Eastern Securities, ably backed by Jaspage 1441, Mobile Express, Dialogue Communication and Wealth Securities, have linked up with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) as co-sponsors of these annual competitions that bring together the best collegiate and secondary teams of the country's 16 regions.

Actually, the now Belle Corporation-54th edition of the NSC was awarded to Butuan City during the annual BAP executive board meeting held in Ozamiz City last year. But the CARAGA region's foremost city could not muster enough support and was forced to abandon its commitment, forcing a special BAP board meeting held last December to approve either Manila or Laguna as substitute host of the event.

Laguna Gov. Joey D. Lina Jr. readily offered the San Luis Sports Complex in Sta. Cruz as venue of the tournaments proper, but begged off from bearing the added load of board and lodging.

Willy Ocier, top honcho of Belle Corporation, was appointed by BAP president Freddie Jalasco as vice chairman of the organizing committee headed by sportsman-businessman Jaime Dichavez, president of the Philippine National Basketball Academy and vice president for Luzon of the BAP.

Ocier will coordinate with Dichaves and BAP secretary general Graham C. Lim, in plugging all loopholes that could undo a successful meet.