District Warriors Philippines of Quezon City’s first district started their campaign on a high note by routing the Shoot it Dragons of Thailand, 110-65, on the opening day of the 2024 Cahaya Lestari Surabaya (CLS) League Under-23 Senior Division last Tuesday in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Backed by Quezon City first district Congressman Juan Carlos “Arjo” Atayde, the Warriors were led by Ryan Arceo, who scored 20 points, while Danren Nepomuceno and Christian Jake Agoncillo each tallied 19 points. Christian Ang also added 14 points for the Warriors, who now sport a 1-0 win-loss record.
Coached by Dale Lacorte and Vis Valencia, the Filipino hoopers will be fighting for pride and glory this week as they compete against five top club teams from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Australia in a single round-robin format.
Rounding out the Philippine side are Joeben Loria, Yojan Ang, Patrick Buena, Andrei Diaz, Jeremiah Guzman, Warren Calara, and JR Lastra, with coordinator Carl Lorenz Eserjose.
According to Rep. Atayde, “This team is composed of Quezon City first district’s top talented players, who were selected through a series of tryouts and the ongoing D1 Basketball League.
“I believe they play with a lot of pride, and I have faith that they can bring home the championship,” he said.
A well-known sports aficionado, Atayde is a member of the Youth and Sports Development Committee in the House of Representatives.
“The Philippines is a basketball-loving nation with talented and skillful players across our 7,000-plus islands. This includes our district, and we are more than happy to support them in this overseas campaign,” the young lawmaker said.
After winning their first game, the District Warriors Philippines were playing against NS Matrix Malaysia on Wednesday as of press time before locking horns with the BBM CLS Knights on Thursday, MBC Malaysia on Friday, and the ACBA Tigers Sydney on Saturday.
Atayde and the other delegates will arrive on Friday to support the team and cheer them on in their quest for a championship.
