Flying V jrs tourney pits RP U-13

MANILA, Philippines - Coach Mak Herrera’s RP Under-13 will pit skills with bigger, older boys when it sees action in the 2010 Filoil Flying V Pre-Seasons Basketball Invitational Cup which starts Saturday at the Filoil Flying V Arena in San Juan.

Christened as the Badolato Cup, in honor of the multi-titled, many-time national coach and San Beda Red Cubs mentor Renato “Ato” Badolato, the juniors tournament pits the small boys trained by Herrera, the UE junior coach and assistant mentor of the UE Red Warriors, against teams from the UAAP and the NCAA, making the junior competition equally thrilling as the seniors division.

Badolato, who won 16 titles since he started coaching the San Beda Red Cubs in 1972 before opting to retire this year, is also one of three commissioners of the Filoil Flying V Cup tourney, the others being former UST champion coach Aric del Rosario and Pepe Sanchez.

“Coach Badolato is considered a legend in Philippine basketball so it is but fitting to honor him with this tournament,” said league chairman Joey Guillermo.

On Wednesday a tripleheader pitting the UST Tiger Cubs against the UE Pages at 9 a.m., the Perpetual Altalletes against the NU Bullpups at 11 p.m., and the FEU Baby Tamaraws squaring off against the RP 13-Under team at 1 p.m., kicks off hostilities in the juniors side of the tournament presented by Mighty Bond Extreme, with major sponsors Filoil, Flying V, Total Phils. Inc., San Marino and Hanes, the official outfitter and also backed by Adidas, Bayo, Jimm’s Coffee, Kaspersky, Zest Air and Gourmet Coffee.

But avid followers of juniors basketball look forward to another exciting battle between reigning UAAP juniors titlist Ateneo against runner-up De La Salle-Zobel in the UAAP April 24 and the San Beda Red Cubs, who gave Badolato a fitting retirement gift by winning the NCAA title, against last year’s runner-up, the Letran Squires May 22.

Tickets for all juniors and seniors games are available via Ticketnet at tel. 911-5555 or at the customer service of SM Malls, or log on at ticketnet.com.ph.