ganahan c coach tim ni junmar fajardo kay dako daw unya gahi pa jud...
Is cesafi basketball 2011 much better than previous seasons?
Shenzhen Universiade on my mind
SHENZHEN, China -- One of the reasons why I wanted to make this trip to Shenzhen is the opportunity to watch the 26th Summer Universiade, which is long considered as the Olympics for fast-rising athletes from top universities and colleges all over the world.
Held every two years, the Universiade serves as the stepping stone in the careers of some of the world’s greatest athletes, including basketball legend Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls.
Jordan, undoubtedly the world's best basketball player ever, suited up for the United States during the 1983 Universiade in Edmonton, Canada while still a student at North Carolina.
The sporting careers of all-time Chinese greats Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets (basketball) and Li Ning (athletics) also blossomed following their respective stints in the Universiade.
“This is where you can see the future of world sports – be it in basketball or any other sports,” said former Philippine Sports Commission (PSC) official Tisha Abundo, who holds the distinction as one of few Filipinos who suited up in the 1967 Tokyo Universiade as a member of the Philippine women’s volleyball team.
This year, the Philippines is sending a total of 94 athletes, coaches and officials in the Shenzhen Universiade through the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines (FESSAP), the sole local university sports organization recognized by the International University Sports Federation (FISU), the organizers of the Summer Universiade and World University Games.
Of the Filipino athletes seeing action in the two-week long competition, University of Cebu hotshot June Mar Fajardo is expected to stand head and shoulders above the rest -- literally.
At 6-11, Fajardo is presently the hottest -- and brightest -- player to come out of the basketball-crazy Cebu since Ateneo rookie sensation Greg Slaughter.
Although the UC Webmasters of coach Rhoel Gomez and UC athletic director Atty. Baldomero Estenzo face a near-herculean task in the 24-team, four-group basketball event, Fajardo is expected to benefit a lot playing against equally-young and talented players from Americas, Europe and Asia.
“It will be a big test for me, but I like the challenge,” said Fajardo, chosen as the official flag-bearer of the 94-strong Filipino delegation during the colorful parade of nations at the Shenzhen Bay Sports Center.
With most of the top Manila-based universities and colleges now seeing action in the UAAP, NCAA and NAASCU, the FESSAP-recognized Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP), of newly-elected president Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and secretary-general Graham Lim went South and handpicked the UC Webmasters to represent the country.
Handled by former Alaska Milk player-turned-coach Rhoel Gomez, the Webmasters are presently the reigning CESAFI (Cebu Schools Athletic Federation) champions and the 63rd National Students titlists.
In Shenzhen, the Philippines is included in Group C with 2009 Universiade runner-up Russia, Ukraine, Lithuania, New Zealand and Japan.
In Group A are host China, Germany, Romania, Brazil, Czech Republic and United Arab Emirates.
In Group B are Serbia, Turkey, Canada, Australia, South Africa and Hong Kong.
Group D includes the USA, Israel, Finland, Korea, Hungary and Mexico.
In the 2009 Universiade, host Serbia brought down Russia, 73-51, to capture the gold medal , while the United States defeated Israel, 91-80, for the bronze medal.
Aside from basketball, the Philippines is sending participants in archery, athletics, badminton, beach volleyball, chess, swimming, table tennis and taekwondo.
Headed by Philippine Swimming League (PSC) chairperson and former Sen. ,Nikki Coseteng and former national swimmer Susan Papa, swimming is sending a total of 22 athletes and officials.
Taekwondo is fielding 18 athletes, archery has four, athletics, chess and table tennis have three each and badminton and beach volleyball have two each.
* * *
The chance to visit Shenzhen, reputedly one of the world’s fastest growing cities and home to numerous high-tech companies located in Guangdong Province in Southern China, is also a mouth-watering idea.
And why not?
Located on a border with shopping paradise Hong Kong, Shenzhen is reportedly the first -- and arguably the most successful -- special ecomomic zones in China.
A report in the Shenzhen tourism department said Chinese and foreign nationals have invested enormous sums in the economy of Shenzhen since the 1970s. More than US$30 billion in foreign investment has gone into both fully foreign-owned and joint ventures initially mainly in manufacturing but recently increasingly in service industries.
Shenzhen is also now the third busiest container port in China, next only to Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Among the must-see places to visit in Shenzhen, which literally means ‘deep drains’, are the Shenzhen Port, Chinese Folk Culture Village, Happy Valley, Window of the World, Safari Park, Xianhu Lake Botanical Garden, Shenzhen Cultural Center, the French-inspired Shekou Sea World, Xichong Beach, and the Shun Hing Square, the world’s 14th tallest building.
NOTES – Birthday greetings to Claire Agbayani, a good friend since our College Editors Guild of the Philippines (CEGP) days, who celebrated last Aug. 11...
Also to Evelyn del Rosario (Aug. 10) and Eira Andaya-Palabrica (Aug. 10).
For comments and suggestions, email to edandaya2003@yahoo.com.
Shenzhen Universiade on my mind | Opinion
first game:
Lithuania 108 BAP-Philippines 59
Juliane with 16pts (4/8 3pt). Fajardo with 16pts (7/16) and 7rebs.
We were outrebounded 61-18.
Lithuania 3pt shooting 6/17. Philippines 3pt shooting 4/27.
second game:
Russia 105 BAP-Philippines 47
Fajardo with 8pts (4/8 FG) 3rebs 2stls 1blk. Gomez with 8pts also.
Filipinos with only 2 assists in the entire game.
This is the same Russian team in the Stankovic Continental Champions Cup. I guess they didn't want to waste their energy blasting the lowly Philippine squad. Star players played an average of 20mins.
from greenarcher of ibn
under contract naman ni sa SMC group si Fajardo, although dili lang gyud ni publicly admitted. Nakadungog gyud ko ani personally from one of the UC assistant coaches, mao ni cguro nga sa ABL sya duwa sa SMC-supported nga team. Sad thing now is Philippine basketball has become a competition between MVP and SMC teams
gi-latos mn ang CIT-U, sa Green Lancers hehehehe, woohoooo
manaway sa ko sa ex CEC... ang upat ka players nga nangadto sa UE... isa ra man ang maka-amo muduwa. Si Soza ra ang nanimaho. Si Montalvo nga MVP sa HS Cesafi last year, wala jud magsilbi sa college game. Sil Villarias wala na sab sa rotation. Naa pa to'y isa nga nag-disappearing act na. For 2011, The UV Baby Lancers is the team to beat.
Hayang ang CEC sa UV. Sama sa UV, 2 wins 0 loss na sab ang SHS Ateneo de Cebu. Sa tinuod lang, agree ko nimo... mag lingaw jud tan-awon ang high school games. Mas init ang duwa, mas disiplinado ang mga players, mas loyal sa ilang schools.
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