SBP-Passerelle championship up

MANILA, Philippines - Intense action in the country’s premier inter-school tournament for young basketball players unfolds as the championship round of the SBP-Passerelle tourney gets underway tomorrow at the Blue Eagle Gym in Quezon City. 

La Salle Green Hills (LSGH) Team A, Ateneo-A, Xavier School-A, and LSGH-B booked slots in the championship round after disposing of their rivals in convincing fashion.

In semifinal action, LSGH Team A thumped De La Salle Zobel (DLSZ) Team A, 58-37, before Ateneo-A beat Notre Dame of Greater Manila (NDGM), 67-40.   

In the Passerelle division, Xavier-A downed University of Santo Tomas, 82-76, while LSGH-A scraped by Chiang Kai Shek College), 69-62.

UST and CKSC dispute third place honors in the Passerelle division at 8 a.m., while DLSZ-A and NDGM tussle at 9:15 a.m. in a battle for third in the SBP division. 

Championship action then begins at 10:30 am, with Xavier-A and LSGH-A slugging it out for the Passerelle title and LSGH-A and Ateneo-A for the SBP title.    

 Winners will face off against other teams from the regional championships. The Mindanao final is slated on Oct. 20-21 in Davao to be followed by the Luzon final Nov. 3-4 at the University of Assumption in Pampanga.

The Visayas final is scheduled at the Iloilo Sports Complex on November 17-18 with the National Finals happening on December 1 and 2 at Capiz Gym in Roxas City.

The SBP-Passerrelle is an annual inter-school league for the country’s basketball players aged 9-11 (SBP) and 12-14 (Passerelle). Organized by the award winning Basketball Efficiency Scientific Training (BEST) Center, the twin tournament aims to develop the country’s next generation of basketball heroes.

Organizers have also announced the opening of BEST Center’s Introduction to Basketball Levels 1, 2, 3 and 4, which will start on Sept. 15 and every Saturday thereafter, from 8-11:30 a.m. at the Ateneo College Covered Courts.

Now on its 27th season, the SBP-Passerelle has produced the likes of PBA Philippine Cup finals Most Valuable Player Larry Fonacier, SMART-Gilas Pilipinas captain Chris Tiu, Powerade Tigers all-star guard JV Casio and reigning PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals MVP James Yap.