MANILA, Philippines - Teams from Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball League hope to measure up with their rivals from UAAP and NCAA in the first Philippine Secondary Schools Basketball Championships kicking off Oct. 27 at The Arena in San Juan.
Tiong Lian officials believe their squads have improved a lot since the era of the likes of cage greats Lim Eng Beng and Atoy Co and could be ranged against UAAP and NCAA’s leading squads.
Lim and Co are just two of the products of the Tiong Lian league who made their marks in the PBA.
“The top teams in the Tiong Lian league are no more pushovers. They have produced several stars in the PBA and are now equally strong and big as the teams from UAAP and NCAA,” said Hope Christian High School team manager Bernard Yang.
Chiang Kai Shek College’s Joel Yap has credited the league’s rise as one of the country’s premier leagues to its sound basketball program.
“At Chiang Kai Shek College, our alumni are contributing significantly to our sports program, especially in basketball,” said Yap. “So I think they can match up well against teams from UAAP and NCAA.”
Chiang Kai Shek College won the 2012 edition of Tiong Lian after beating Hope Christian last February.
Xavier School, which produced the likes of TY Tang, Joseph Yeo, Jeric and Jeron Teng and Chris Tiu, is the other representative of Tiong Lian in the tournament backed by Welcoat House Paints, MEC, Hapee Toothpaste, Blackwater Sports, Dickies Underwear, Ironcon Builders, Jumbo Plastic Linoleum and Wrangler.
Multi-titled San Beda high school coach Ato Badolato will be the commissioner of the league.