10 kids form Jr. NBA All-Star team

A total of 10 kids – four from Manila, three from Cagayan de Oro and, one each from Puerto Princesa, Pampanga and the Alaska Power Camp – took the top 10 slots in the 2012 Jr. NBA Philippines national camp to form this year’s Jr. NBA All-Star team.

Aljun Jay Melecio, Camillus Altamirano, Patrick Ramirez and John Roald Mayor from the Manila camp; Lui Besa, Felixberto Jaboneta and Arnie Padilla from the Cagayan de Oro camp; Paul Dagunan from the Puerto Princesa camp; Antonio Jeffrey Coronel from Pampanga; and Regille Kent Ilagan from the Alaska Power Camp in Manila stood out after three days in the national basketball camp.

They will be rewarded with a once-in-a-lifetime NBA experience and the chance to travel abroad to play against a counterpart team.

The following players, meanwhile, received special awards for their outstanding achievements: Alvin Jules Pineda, Joshua Alfonso Gantan, Lawrence Viajar, Gilbert Tague and Jeremiah Joy Sandalo, members of the 2012 Gatorade Performance Team; Miguel Raphael Jison of St. John’s Institute in Bacolod City, the Spalding Sportsmanship Award; Paul Dagunan from San Miguel National High School in Puerto Princesa, the Gatorade Hustle Award, Patrick Ramirez from Manila, the BTV Rising STAR Award, Arnie Padilla from the Sacred Heart School Ateneo de Cebu, the 2012 Jr. NBA Studio 23 All Star Player of the Game; Regille Kent Ilagan, the 2012 Alaska Youth Ambassador. Most Valuable Player of the 2012 Jr. NBA Philippines presented by Alaska is Aljun Jay Melecio.

This year’s Top 10 were culled from a group of 50 junior players aged 10-14 who topped their respective regional selection camps in Puerto Princesa, Cagayan de Oro, Pampanga and Manila through all of April and made it to the national camp held from May 3-5 at the SMX Convention Center.

Three days of boot camp, basketball drills, skills tests, stamina challenges, competitive games and fun games tested the young cagers’ physical, mental, emotional and spiritual strengths. The camp was jointly conducted by NBA Legend and former Chicago Bull Luc Longley, US Jr. NBA Clinician Chris Clunie, the Alaska coaching staff led by PBA Legend Jojo Lastimosa and assorted coaches from the regions

Meanwhile, Sorsogon City’s Alan Ayo of ABC Ideas was selected as the 2012 Jr. NBA Coach of the Year for having grown the sport of basketball in the Philippines while promoting the Jr. NBA S.T.A.R. values of Sportsmanship, Teamwork, a positive Attitude and Respect to young basketball athletes.

Presented by Alaska, the 2012 Jr. NBA Philippines was also backed by the league’s official partners such as Gatorade, Spalding, Basketball TV (BTV), Studio 23 and the Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines.