29 youth teams join NBTC D-League

Twenty-nine teams from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao slug it out in the first National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) Developmental League or NBTC D-League starting tomorrow at the Philsports Arena and the nearby Brent School gym.

Antipolo, BMEG Premium (Batangas), Dasmariñas (Cavite), Health Solutions (Laguna), Manila, Team Nueva Ecija Foundation (Nueva Ecija), Olongapo Volunteers (Olongapo City), Lubao Bulls (Pampanga), Quezon City, Pasig (BMEG Dynamix Calata), Lucena, Sugod Bulacan (Bulacan) and Tarlac are entries from Luzon.

Santos Petroleum Corp (Iloilo), Dumaguete Suy (Bacolod), IEC Computers (Bacolod), 888 Chinatown (Bacolod), Daisy Condensada (Cebu), M Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-South, M Lhuillier Kwarta Padala-North and Penshoppe (Cebu) represent the Visayas while Oro Grande-CDO (Cagayan de Oro), Team Misor (Misamis Oriental), Iligan Fireflies (Iligan City), Iligan Black Viper (Iligan City), Saints (General Santos), Energen (Davao), Megavia Southmin (Davao) and Montaña Pawnshop (Davao) are the Mindanao teams.

Sponsored by Nokia, the tournament is for boys and girls ages 14 to 16 years old.

NBTC director Eric Altamirano said the teams, carrying the names of cities, municipalities and sponsors, joined the league primarily to be part of the long-term program by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas under chairman Manny V. Pangilinan and i executive director Noli Eala.

“We have the SBP leadership headed by Mr. MVP and executive director Noli Eala to thank for in putting this vision for Philippine basketball into fruition,” said Altamirano of the feeder program for the collegiate leagues, the commercial leagues and hopefully future national teams.

The launch is at 9 a.m., at the PhilSports Arena. Games are scheduled starting at 10 a.m. up to 7 p.m. at the PhilSports Arena and the adjacent Brent School basketball court.

Altamirano said these area-based teams are made up of players chosen through talent identification camps and these players will be honed with a singular training program to be executed by capable coaches of good moral standing in the community.

“Winning is only secondary in the NBTC D-League. The NBTC D-League’s purpose is to develop players with the right basketball skills through adequate training in a competitive environment,” Altamirano said.

Program sponsor Nokia will shoulder majority of the league expenses while each team has tapped a local government unit or company as backer. A women’s division is also set to unwrap in February next year.