University of the Philippines is paying tribute to the late Coach Ricky Dandan by renaming its grassroots basketball development program in his honor.
Originally launched last year as the Fighting Maroons Basketball School (FMBS), the program will now be known as the Ricky Dandan–Fighting Maroons Basketball School (RD-FMBS) — a lasting recognition of the former coach’s vision and dedication to developing young athletes.
FMBS serves as the official basketball grassroots initiative of State U, aimed at nurturing the skills of boys and girls aged 6 to 17 while instilling in them the spirit of the UP Fight. Dandan, who passed away in late 2024, was the driving force behind the program’s inception.
“Coach Ricky had a huge hand in the rise of our Men’s Basketball Team, and even after we passed the coaching torch to Coach Gold [Monteverde], he remained an integral part of UP sports through this basketball school,” said Bo Perasol, Director of the Office of Athletics and Sports Development.
“This is just one way for us to make sure he is never forgotten.”
The RD-FMBS will kick off its first module from June 9 to 14, followed by the second module from June 30 to July 5. Both sessions will be held at the UP Community Court inside the Diliman campus.
Online registration is now open at https://tinyurl.com/4x3e6ny9.
Each week-long training module, led by qualified coaches, is priced at ₱4,000.
