B.League training beckons for young Filipino cagers

MANILA, Philippines -- Eight Filipino kids will be given a prestigious chance to train with professional basketball clubs in Japan after the national tryout of Live Your Dream with Pocari: Basketball Edition in Visayas and Mindanao next month.

Around 500 kids aged 13-15 are expected to slug it out in the national selection to be hosted by Cebu and Iloilo for Visayas as well as Davao and Cotabato for Mindanao legs after staging it previously in Metro Manila, Northern and Southern Luzon.

“This is the main core of our program in Pocari. We’re supporting the sweat, the dream and the passion of Filipino kids,” said Chief Administrative Officer Shin Funaki of Otsuka-Solar Philippines, the mother company of the renowned sports drink, during the launch on Tuesday night at its headquarters in Pasig.

The Japanese brand, which also has subsidiaries in Thailand, Singapore, Malaysia, Vietnam and Indonesia, timed the launch with the visit of the Japan B. League in the country this week with its first-ever preseason games at the Mall of Asia Arena recently.

The B.League Manila Games featured matches between Levanga Hokkaido and Gunma Crane Thunders featuring Gilas Pilipinas’ own players Dwight Ramos and AJ Edu, respectively.

The B.League team that will train the selected eight Filipino kids next year is still to be announced after Pocari partnered with the Saga Ballooners and the Shiga Lakestars in their first two seasons.

Five Filipino kids from a national tryouts held in Manila trained with Saga in 2024, followed by eight more aspirants from a national selection held in North and South Luzon with Shiga the following year.

This time, Pocari leveled it up with its first staging in Visayas and Mindanao that also made possible by the help of San Beda mentor Yuri Escueta, UST women’s coach Haydee Ong as well as former UAAP, NCAA and PBA coach Aldin Ayo among the few seasoned mentors tasked in selection.

The B.League serves as only one of the leagues backed by Pocari, who also has ties with the PBA, the Philippine Sports Commission, the Tokyo Marathon and the upcoming Asian Games from September 19 to October 4 in Achi and Nagoya, Japan.

Pocari, which sent national campaigner and multi-titled Christine Hallasgo to the Tokyo Marathon this year, will rally behind the 464-strong Team Philippines delegation in the sendoff today at the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.

“We support our local athletes in partnership with the PSC,” added Funaki as Pocari also champions help in other aspects of Philippine sports such as anti-doping, nutrition and mental health programs.

“We’re giving opportunities for our young talents to showcase their skills and talents here and abroad as part of our core programs and corporate social responsibility,” added brand development manager Nelly Ramos, who was joined by product manager Janeth Villarante.