NAASCU 21st edition unwraps Monday at Astrodome

MANILA, Philippines — The National Athletic Association of Schools, Colleges and Universities will hold its 21st edition with 10 schools seeing action in its premier basketball competition unfolding Oct. 23 at the Cuneta Astrodome in Pasay City.

NAASCU chairman Dr. Ernesto Jay Adalem said his school St. Claire U will open its title-defense against New Era U after the 9 a.m. inaugural.

Then it will be City University of Pasay versus University of Makati, Philippine Christian U against Manuel Luis Quezon U and Fatima versus last year’s runner-up Enderun. Other member schools are AMA U and Holy Angel U.

“It’s our 21st season. Dapat 23 na kaya lang we were stopped by the pandemic,” said Adalem in yesterday’s PSA Forum at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Apart from basketball, the league also has in its calendar volleyball, track and field, cheering competition, table tennis, taekwondo, badminton, chess, beach volley and billiards.

NAASCU will also have beach handball, a sport under the Philippine Handball Federation where Adalem serves as the secretary general.

“Our league is mandated to help sports developments,” Adalem said. “We promote amateurism and avoid commercialization among our young athletes.”

The league has a large platform to accomplish those goals as the 10 member teams have between 170,000 to 200,000 student-population.

Adalem noted that in a previous opening rite before the pandemic, the league managed to gather more than 15,000 spectators which was the most number at any given time at the Astrodome.

The new season will also mark the return of the juniors and women’s divisions which were last played in 2019.  The Saint Clare Junior Saints and Enderun Lady Titans are the defending champions albeit with totally new rosters.

“I think next year will be an even bigger participation,” said Adalem in the same session presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, MILO, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).