Developmental hoops get spotlight in PBGL
MANILA — The Pilipinas Basketball Grassroots League (PBGL), which gives young players an opportunity to build character beyond basketball, is set for another action-packed season.
Officials from the PBGL, which has been around since 2019, graced the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum on Tuesday and unveiled the mechanics for this year’s edition, which is currently in its qualifying phase ahead of the regional tournaments in April and the national finals in May.
“It’s not just basketball but a holistic approach. This is for the youth,” said PBGL national program director Erice Joseph Salonga, who was joined by assistant vice president Russel Soberano, executive secretary Linus Taa, and vice president for media Jorge Rentillo.
The league travels around the country and is expected to gather as many as 48 teams per category, starting from the 10-under division.
Salonga said the tournament is open to schools, local government units (LGUs), and clubs. Among the divisions, only the 18-under category will feature both boys’ and girls’ competitions, while the five other brackets are exclusively for boys.
“We want to spread awareness for the youth. Again, it’s not only about basketball but also character building and values formation. Hindi lang basta bola,” Salonga said during the forum.
“With all the things that are happening, we want to focus on the children and instill discipline. Para ma-divert din ang attention nila from gadgets. This is more than just a basketball clinic. If we can develop them as young as 10 years old, we can create good leaders,” he added.
The PBGL is implementing the program in close collaboration with the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), with competitions scheduled in Ilocos Sur, Bataan, Zambales, Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Bulacan, Bukidnon, Cagayan de Oro, Isabela, Ilocos Norte, La Union, South Cotabato, and the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM).
Rentillo said champions in each division will earn berths to next year’s World Youth Championships in Singapore, which is expected to feature more than 100 teams from 15 countries.
The PBGL officials also said the project supports the government’s sports tourism initiatives.
“With all the provinces involved, sports tourism din ito. It creates business for hotels, restaurants, and tourist spots because the children normally travel with their parents. And for the LGUs, it’s one way of promoting their provinces,” Salonga said.