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BAP-Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas Executive Director Patrick
Gregorio bared this week plans to establish a commercial basketball
league for RP cagebelles in March.
The league aims to strengthen the RP women’s
team training following a bronze medal finish in the Thailand SEA
Games last year.
“Our target is to have six to eight teams
composed of the best players nationwide,” Gregorio said. “This
will be a part of our current Youth program.”
Gregorio said that the league could be patterned
after MICAA (where the players represent the companies they work
for), school-based, or a combination of both.
Gregorio added that the players could also come
from coach Eric Altamirano’s National Basketball Training Center,
which began in December.
“The league will help us in talent
identification. With the players honing their skills in the league
apart from their usual training, we’ll always have competent
players for various international compe-titions,” Gregorio said.
“Hindi na natin kailangan magmadali [We don’t need to rush].”
Imports and Fil-foreign recruits will also be
welcomed in the women’s league just like in the PBA for added
competitiveness.
“We will invite Asia’s top players from
Thailand and Malaysia kasi mas lalong gagaling ang players natin
kung magaling rin ang kalaban [We will invite Asia’s top players
from Thailand and Malaysia because our players will improve if the
opponents are good],” Gregorio said.
-- Llanesca T. Panti
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