Pinoy jr cagers hope to join NBA legends

BEIJING – Fifty Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA cagers, including 15 from the Philippines, strut their wares in a mini-camp today, hoping to impress and make the 15-player cast set to join the Yao Ming School’s top 10 students in an exhibition game here.

According to Dennis Kim, events coordinator of the organizing NBA Asia, Limited, NBA legends Darryl Dawkins and Sam Perkins will join hands with former NBA star Ming as they conduct clinics and drills with the Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA ambassadors.

“They will be there to inspire these Jr. NBA and Jr. WNBA players,” said Kim of Dawkins and Perkins.

Meanwhile, the Filipino Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA representatives, along with their counterparts from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Vietnam were treated to a visit to the Great Wall, one of the world’s wonders also listed as a World Heritage site by the UNESCO, as part of their prize for emerging the best in their respective countries.

But what excites these kids, aged 12 to 14 years old, is the rare chance to be with Ming and the two NBA legends.

“All of us, of course, wanted to get picked and play but if we’re not, we’ll still be happy and cheer for those who got picked,” said SJ Belangel, who played for Taytung in Bacolod City before he was recruited by Ateneo this year.

Belangel, who once scored 99 points in a game in Iloilo, is one of the 15 kids – 10 boys and five girls – who emerged from the Alaska Milk-sponsored Jr. NBA/Jr. WNBA National Training Camp in the Philippines early this year.

The others are Jethro Rocamora of First Baptist Christian School, Andrew Vincent Velasco of Ateneo de Cebu, Vince Leo Dolendo and David Leonardo Umadhay of Huasiong College, Rhayyan Amsali of Nazareth School, Paul Matthew Manalang of NU and Jan Cyril Narvasa of UST and Luigi Miguel Velasco of La Salle-Greenhills.

The girls are represented by Arielle Marie Lanot of La Salle-Zobel,  Kreecie Bettina Binaohan and Roxanne Salvador both of Perpetual Help, Karl Ann Pingol of Pototan School in Iloilo and Mary Jean Pascua of University of Southern Philippines of Cebu.

Each country also sent their top male and female coaches here, including Tacloban City’s Andy Tecocan and St. Stephen High’s Pia Dysangco.

The delegation also attended a traditional Chinese Crafts Day and was treated to the Chinese Acrobatic Show at the Beijing Chaoyang Center.

They will cap their tour with a ringside view of the Brooklyn Nets and the Sacramento Kings match in the 2014 NBA Global Games Beijing presented by ZTE at the Mastercard Center.