BACOLOD CITY ? MEMBERS of the Discovery Perlas Pilipinas Women's National Team arrived in Bacolod yesterday, September 21 to prepare for the 1st Philippine Sports Commission (PSC)?Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Discovery Women's Invitational Cup scheduled from September 28 to October 1 at the West Negros University gym.
The five-day tournament will feature teams from China, Thailand, Qatar and host-Philippines with over 80 players including officials participating.
The tournament, likewise, will serve as the national team?s tune-up matches for the forthcoming 26th edition of the Southeast Asian Games in November in Indonesia.
The nationals headed by Coach Haydee Ong is composed of Joan Grajales, Cassandra Noel Tioseco, Diana Rose Jose, Merenciana Ewonritseorlagha Arayi, Melissa Jacob, Aurora Adriano,
Chovi Borja, Karen Lomogda, Treena Ann Therese Limgenco, Analyn Almazan, Ma. Lalaine Flormata, Angeli Jo Gloriani, Marites Gadian, Bernadette Mercado, Ron Camara, Conrado Pasco, Susan Bambico and Alvin Soriano.
In the press conference held yesterday at the East View Hotel, team manager Bacole?a Cynthia Lacson-Tiu stressed that one of the reasons of bringing the event in here home town is to make the sports-loving people of Bacolod aware of this sports. ?Our trust in the team is to build a squad composed of players from the provinces, although we are also open to the entry of Fil-foreign players. We want to provide opportunities to those who aspire to be part of the team,? she said.
Meanwhile, like other sporting events in the country, the national women?s basketball team also faces lots of difficulties ? from scouting of players to the tapping of sponsors to support the squad.
In scouting of players, the lack of competition for this event in the country has shortened the list of potential candidates for the national squad. Unlike in the men?s basketball that aside from the school-based leagues, there are many tournaments being held even in the grassroots level.
The lack of sponsors, either from the local government units and private sectors, had hindered the implementation of programs for this sport.
Thus, the city government of Bacolod through Executive Assistant Sammy Montoyo yesterday said that they will sit down with the concerned agencies to enable them to come up with such program relative to women?s basketball.
Tomorrow, the team is scheduled to hold some campus visits to several universities here in Bacolod to further promote the sport as well as the upcoming event.
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