By Kristel Satumbaga
An international training stint will be up for grabs when the Philippine Superliga Collegiate Grand Slam debuts on Nov. 3 at the Ynares Sports Center.
League acting president Ian Laurel said the winner of the six-team tournament will be awarded with at least 10 days of training in Thailand.
“We expect these young players to join the club ranks in the next couple of years, that’s why we feel that we should help them harness their talents this early,” Laurel said.
Last season’s UAAP finalist Far Eastern University banners the participating teams that also include University of the Philippines, University of Santo Tomas, University of the East, Colegio San Agustin-Biñan and La Salle-Dasmariñas.
Matches will be played mostly on Saturdays.
PSL Chairman Philip Ella Juico said hosting the league’s first collegiate tournament is aimed at “strengthening ties with the institution of higher learning.”
The collegiate tournament will also coincide with the staging of the All-Filipino Conference, which fires off on Oct. 30 at The Arena in San Juan City.
Defending champion Petron Blaze Spikers spearheads lineup which also comprise of F2 Logistics, Sta. Lucia Realty, Generika-Ayala, Cignal HD, Cocolife, Foton and newcomer Smart.
The league, now on its fifth year, is also a finalist in the Best Women Sports Event of the Asia’s Sports Industry Awards and Conference (SPIA Asia) where the winner will be announced in November in Bangkok, Thailand.
