MABALACAT — Arwind Santos spearheaded the launch of National Basketball Championship Inter-High (NBCIH) on Sunday at the Don Bosco Academy here.
The 2012 PBA MVP was named commissioner of the new league, a nationwide search for the best private high school boys basketball team presented and organized by Jams Sports of the Jamsap Entertainment Corporation.
“Lalo na dahil kaka-champion lang ng Gilas Pilipinas sa Asian Games – first time yan in 61 years, lalong mai-i-inspire ang ating mga kabataan para pag-igihan ang paglalaro,” the Kapampangan said during the press luncheon.
“At sana makatulong tayo sa kanilang mga pangarap sa pamamagitan ng tournament na ito,” furthered Santos.
The NBCIH inaugurals will commence on October 13 at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga,
Pampanga is one of the 32 provinces, cities or regions where there will each be eight teams battling for the right to represent their province in the grand finals.
The 256-team win-or-go-home tournament offers a one million-peso (P1,000,000) prize money to the grand champion.
More than anything else, the NBCIH will be a platform for 14 to 19 year olds to showcase their basketball skills and potential in front of coaches and scouts from the many colleges and universities on the lookout for promising talent.
“We are hoping that the NBCIH can help young athletes to fulfill or jumpstart their dreams of earning college scholarships while pursuing their passion for the game,” said Jamsap chief executive officer Jojo Flores.
The eight participating teams in Pampanga are Sta. Cruz Academy-Lubao, St. Augustine Institute, St. Mary’s Academy, Guagua National College, St. Vincent Academy, Pampanga Colleges, Don Bosco Academy and Holy Angel University.
After Pampanga, three days of knockout elimination games each will also be happening in 15 other areas in Luzon, and eight each in the Visayas and Mindanao – NCR, Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Cagayan Valley, Isabela, Ilocos region, Pangasinan, Rizal, Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Quezon, Camarines Norte, Camarines Sur, Albay, Cebu, Bohol, Leyte, Negros Oriental, Iloilo, Bacolod, Capiz, Aklan, Cotabato, Cagayan de Oro, Butuan, Surigao, Zamboanga, Davao City, Iligan and Misamis.
Participation is on a first-come-first-serve basis through the organizers to be formalized by a memorandum of agreement between the private high schools and Jamsap.
Games will be shown live courtesy of Jamsap TV via the Jamsap Entertainment app which can be downloaded on Google Play, and soon on IOS devices.
