Search for RP Youth talents on

In a bid to improve on its seventh place finish in the recent FIBA-Asia junior men championship in Iran, Nokia and Tao Corp. will conduct the talent search for the next batch this early to be trained for two years in time for the next championship.

Coach Eric Altamirano, through his Nokia Basketball Training Center (NBTC), will be the man in charge of the search for talents aged 14-16 to be trained in the next two years in an effort to form a team that can put up a better showing in the next Asian youth championship.

The NBTC, with Altamirano as program director and Alex Compton as training director, has been in place for almost a year now, but this time the former individual skills training center will now serve as the country’s developmental league.

“The goal is to get the best 14-16 talents then train them for the next youth championship and future men’s championships,” said Altamirano.

All members of the 2008 RP youth team will no longer be eligible for the next youth championship. Papot Paredes, Ian Sangalang, Joel Tolentino and Tata Marata will play for the youth team for the last time in the 3-on-3 competition in the first Asian Beach Games set Oct. 22-27 in Bali, Indonesia. The rest of the team are now trying to catch up with their studies.

Altamirano said they will look for talents from the NBTC developmental league starting with an inter-cities on Oct. 25.

From a starting field of 34 teams (eight each from Metro Manila, Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao), eight will move into the regional competition deciding the two teams competing in the national finals by May next year.

“This is different from the other tourneys. For one, players playing here are selected by our coaches. Second, it’s not about winning but more on developing the skills of the players. This is controlled basketball – the plays are those apt for international competition,” said Altamirano.

“There’s a separate selection process for coaches. They will be given workshop and instructional video. They will use the same modules in training and coaching their teams,” Altamirano said.

The best players in this tourney will be selected for the NBTC pool from where the elite youth team will be chosen, according to Altamirano.

Among the benefits of the elite group is joining the Elite Nike Camp, housed at the Brent School in Mamplasan for eight days and trained by NBA coaches and Nike players. The top players in this camp are later sent to the Asian Nike Camp.

Incidentally, almost half of the 2008 RP youth team are products of the Elite Nike Camp.

Altamirano has been doing the rounds of the key cities of the country conducting the talent identification search. He was in Iloilo yesterday and going to Bacolod today.