Young Achievers Sports Academy gets underway with basketball camp

CEBU, Philippines — A comprehensive grassroots sports program gets underway today in Barangay Sangat, San Fernando town south of Cebu.

To be known as the Young Achievers Sports Academy, it will kick off with a basketball training camp at the Sangat gym starting at 8 am.

Under the supervision of United Basketball Referees Association (UBRA) VisMin Sports Events Management Services led by its managing director Stephen Ababon, the maiden voyage of the academy is fully supported by Riyadh Christopher V. Oacan, the Sangguniang Kabataan chairman of Sangat who is also the SK Federation president of San Fernando.

“Kalabot kini sa atong programa sa SK nga makabaton og kalihokan nga adunay long term effects alang sa mga konstituwente nga atong giserbisyohan. Atoa i-train ang youth aron mamahimo pa silang mo-improve sa ilang hilig nga basketball,” said Oacan.

“Ang end goal gyud nato is to open opportunities for these youth to play for scholarships, or for local or national leagues. Dako nato kining garbo ug kalipay kon kini mahitabo kay usa kita sa mga instrumento nga nakahatag og kaayohan nila,” Oacan continued.

Former PBA player Denok Miranda, the newly-designated head coach of Far Eastern University (FEU) Tamaraws in the UAAP, and coach Paul Alelu Flores, who steered the Consolacion Sarok Weavers to a historic back-to-back championships in the Pilipinas Super League (PSL) last year, will be coming over to oversee the proceedings of the cage clinic.

Interestingly, Miranda and Flores played alongside Arwind Santos with the FEU Tamaraws that snared the UAAP crown back in 2004.

“Ako, isip basketball enthusiast pud, nakita nato ang kamaayo sa play sa Consolacion Sarok Weavers sa ilang PSL stint, ug sa uban pa nilang liga nga gisalmotan. Knowing this, excited gyud kaayo ko nga dalhon kining klase sa pag-train nganhi sa Barangay Sangat from no other than coach Paul Flores himself,” said Oacan.

“Coach Denok (Miranda) was recommended to us by coach Paul considering nga nagkauban sila together during their college days as athletes and now, doing proficiently in their own teams, Sarok Weavers and FEU Tamaraws, respectively. Of course, we also know coach Denok as an ex-PBA player, which makes this all the more exciting kay makahatag gyud og daghang pagtulon-an para sa atong mga kabatan-onan,” Oacan added.

Meanwhile, Ababon said that after basketball, they are planning to hold similar clinics for volleyball and boxing in this sports venture that they will bringing across the Visayas and Mindanao region.

“VisMin atong coverage mao nang nagpasalamat gyud ko og dako ni chairman Riyadh (Oacan) nga ang Sangat, San Fernando maoy nahimo namo nga starting point sa academy,” said Ababon. — EBV