The Baliwag Sports Development Office (SDO) thru its consultant, Ronaldo “Baldo” Torres together with the municipality of Baliwag launched the inaugural Baliwag Inter-School Basketball Development League last Sunday, August 20 at the Star Arena Gym. The first-ever tournament aims to help the students discover, harness, and showcase their skills thru a developmental league for both public and private Baliwag-based schools.
Under the league rules, the tournament is divided into two (2) divisions, the 12-under and the 16-under division by which each division was subdivided into two brackets. The 12-under division is composed of Baliwag North District, Baliwag South District A and B, Makinabang Elementary School, Montessori De Sagrada Familia (MDSF), Our Lady of Mt. Carmel College (OLMCC), St. Bernadette Divine Academy (SBDA), and Sullivan National High School. On the other hand, the 16-under division is comprised of Immaculate Concepcion School of Baliwag (ICSB), Living Angels Christian Academy (LACA), Marian College of Baliwag (MC), Montessori De Sagrada Familia (MDSF), Our Lady of Mt. Carmel College (OLMCC), St. Bernadette Divine Academy (SBDA), St. Jean Baptiste Academy (SJBA), St. Joseph School of Baliwag (SJSB), and Vicris School.
The tournament was formally opened by Baliwag town mayor, Hon. Ferdinand V. Estrella as he greets and congratulates all of the participating schools. He also wished for the success of the league, hoping that it is the beginning of continuous honing of skills for every Baliwag baller. The tournament will run from August to October.
Meanwhile, some opening-day jitters struck onto the Sagradan Squires and Sagradan Knights as both teams dropped their first game assignments in the opener of the Inter-school league.
The 12-under Squires fell into the hands of Baliwag South District while the 16-under Knights absorbed their first loss at the expense of Marian College. It was a bit tough day for the Sagradan cagers as both teams struggled to find their form and had difficulty adjusting to some rules implemented by the tournament. The game format was patterned from Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP), ensuring that all players will see action for at least one quarter as each quarter (1st-3rd), therefore requiring a different set of five players for both teams. In connection, it is a must that all teams have 15 healthy players. Nevertheless, the Squires and the Knights vowed to bounce back on their next game assignments on September 3, Sunday. Their participation in the league is in line with their preparation for the upcoming BulPriSA which will kick off on September 19.
By: Vhon Joseph C. Solomon