The Batang PBA mini tournament kicks off with three matches today at the JCSO gym in Cubao.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial will declare the games open starting 10 am.
The first match at 10:30 a.m. pits Columbian Dyip against GlobalPort followed by the game between Ginebra and Blackwater at 12 noon.
San Miguel and Phoenix clash in the third game at 1:30 p.m.
Participants in the 8-11 years-old event are products of the Batang PBA summer program held every Saturday and Sunday since April 7 at the University of the Philippines College of Human Kinetics.
The camp has put together 25 coaches from various schools and universities to work on the children, who are taught the proper way to pass, shoot, dribble and defend.
Now on is 14th year, the Batang PBA drew close to a thousand boys and girls this summer, most of them dreaming to be like Kiefer Ravena, a product of the camp who now plays for NLEX in the PBA.
“Kiefer has become a model to kids aspiring to make it to the PBA someday. I have seen the enthusiasm of these kids so I have no doubt in a few years we will be able to produce another PBA superstar,” said camp director Eric Castro.
The participants were divided into two divisions – 8-12 years old and 13-15 years old – and undergo three hours of training for two weekends. This year, close to 600 girls and boys registered for the 12-15 years old bracket prompting Castro to hold an afternoon session.
“We are growing every year. That’s an indication that we are doing good in terms of teaching the kids,” Castro said.
