VM Damole dreams big out of fiesta league

CEBU, Philippines -  Consolacion Vice Mayor Rey Damole said staging a yearly fiesta basketball league is not their only way of providing recreation and physical fitness to their youth, but also an avenue for them to scout for hoop talents from their town who are potential enough to make it big in the collegiate and even in the pro league someday.

"I hope that with this kind of endeavor, we will be able to develop hardcourt  stars and hopefully discover a future PBA player from our municipality," said Damole during the formal opening of the 2014 Mayor Teresa P. Alegado Cup basketball tournament last Sunday at the Consolacion covered court.

Damole as well as Mayor Alegado and Councilor Neil Ferraren are throwing their all-out support to the month-long tilt that serves as among the higlights of Consolacion's annual fiesta celebration in honor of their beloved patron San Narciso on October 29.

"Handling this event is a huge task and entails a lot of effort given the number of participants, but we're confident to finish the tournament on our target schedule," said Ferraren, the sports committee chairman who is also spearheading a football competition on October 18 as part of their grassroots development program.

Meanwhile, a total of 21 barangays are taking part in  the basketball showdown. The contending squads are Cansaga, Poblacion Oriental, Poblacion Occidental, Jugan, Pulpugan, Tayud, Lamac, Danlag, Pitogo, Nangka, Tugbungan, Casili, and Cabangahan in the inter-barangay category A and Lanipga, Panas, Polog, Sacsac, Garing, Tilhaong, Panoypoy, and Tolo-tolo in category B. The other feature is the SK division.

Games will be played at the gyms of Cansaga, Jugan and Tayud.

Ferraren will be assisted by Boy Tibon and Liga ng mga Barangay President Marilou P. Casul. The tournament will be supervised by league  commissioner Paul Alelu Q. Flores, a former varsity of the Far Eastern University during his college days. — EBV (FREEMAN)