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| (Image Source: Sunstar Philippines) |
The National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) is setting up the stage for its upcoming Global Games amidst the continuing threat of the COVID-19 pandemic. According to NBTC Program Director Eric Altamirano in a virtual press conference, the organization's commitment remains firm and even in the challenging times the country faces until now, NBTC continues to look for ways to promote and grow the sport of basketball especially among the youth.
Speaking to the press and members of the NBTC family in the Philippines and different parts of the globe through online video conferencing, Altamirano stated, “It has always been NBTC’s aim to identify, develop, and hone the best Filipino talents both here and abroad. For the last 13 years, we’ve seen the growth of the program from three cities to more than 100 cities and still growing. We’re hoping that the NBTC Global Games will open the door for hundreds of players overseas to showcase their talents and widen the pool for our national youth team." The NBTC Global Games is slated to kick off in 2022 and geared towards showcasing the talents of young players here and abroad and helping them pursue their basketball dreams.
The NBTC Global Games will feature seven tournaments to be held in the United States (West and East Coast), Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Italy and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and serve as international qualifiers for teams with players aged 18 years old and below. The winners of these qualifiers will automatically earn a spot at the NBTC League National Finals where overseas players will take on the top high school basketball teams in the Philippines. The NBTC League National Finals is targeted to be held on March 2023 at the SM Mall of Asia Arena. Altamirano shared that the idea of setting up the Global Games is timely for the league during the pandemic. “In the last six years, we have gotten numerous requests from international teams to play in the NBTC national finals. We couldn’t entertain all of them since we have limited slots. We saw in the pandemic an opportunity to even widen our network in terms of talent identification," the NBTC official said.
Throughout the years, the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) has been a springboard for young players from different parts of the country and across the globe to hone their skills, improve their game and grow their basketball career. Among the league's notable alumni are Filipino-American Jalen Green, who was drafted second overall by the Houston Rockets in the National Basketball Association (NBA) Rookie Draft, and homegrown talent Kai Sotto who is set to play in the Australian Basketball League (ABL). Others went on to play in local leagues and as part of the national men's basketball team.
