One of the biggest gatherings on local basketball history and culture will be held through the ‘Basketbol Baliktanaw’ slated this Sunday at the Ortigas Foundation Library in Greenhills, San Juan.
Well-known Philippine basketball history enthusiast and memorabilia collector Dr. Michael Rico Mesina is spearheading the special event that is open to the public from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Lectures and panel discussions centering on the rich history of the sport in this basketball-crazy country will be featured during the one-day summit, along with an exhibitor’s gallery showcasing special collectors’ items and rare memorabilia from some popular Filipino basketball players and personalities, respectively.
Mesina mentioned the likes of Gilas Pilipinas deputy coach and NLEX mentor Jong Uichico, Gilas Pilipinas women’s head coach Patrick Aquino, sportscaster Sev Sarmenta, among others as those who will be gracing the event as speakers and lecturers.
“It’s the first ever summit on Philippine basketball history and culture,” said Mesina when he appeared in the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex on Tuesday.
“As a basketball enthusiasts, matagal na akong naghahanap ng event na kung saan ako puwedeng matuto from the different basketball legends and from the most astute basketball minds,” added Mesina, a radiologists by profession, on why he decided to put up the event.
During the Forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, MILO, Smart/PLDT, and the country’s 24/7 app ArenaPlus, Mesina brought along some of his rare basketball collections that include a rare 1910 basketball, a basketball that bore all the signatures of the first ever all-PBA team that won the silver medal in the 1990 Beijing Asian Games, a framed and autographed Coca-Cola photo of cage legend Robert Jaworski, and a worn out basketball jersey of Hall of Famer Carlos Loyzaga.
The Loyzaga jersey was given to Mesina by Olympian Ed Roque, a former teammate of Loyzaga, and who will be acting as one of the panelists during the meet along with the likes of PBA’s first ever Rookie of the Year Gil Cortez, former national coach Joe Lipa, Prof. Jose Maria Bonifacio Escoda, Olympian Jimmy Mariano, two-time PBA MVP Benjie Paras, Blackwater coach Jeff Cariaso, former PBA stars Bong Hawkins and Vince Hizon, and women’s coaches Julie Amos and Ewon Arayi.
