On the heels of the launching of the All-Star Basketball Friendship Games, a tournament organized by the Commission on Higher Education for state universities, LGU-owned squads and private institutions, Fr. Vic Calvo, Letran’s representative to the NCAA board, suggested to make this event a regular thing for all tertiary schools competing in different sports disciplines.
“We need to have a national inter-tertiary tournament,” said Calvo during the press luncheon held recently at the CHED Auditorium in Diliman, Quezon City.
Fr. Calvo wants to see a seasonal event, much like the National Inter-Collegiate Tournament in the past as well as the Philippine Collegiate Champions League, to give other institutions outside the more prestigious leagues like the UAAP and NCAA, a fitting platform where they can size up their skill set and going up against teams competing in different leagues.
Veteran FIBA-accredited international referee Anthony Sulit sees high quality competitions in the All-Star Basketball Friendship Games.
“I would like to thank CHED for being able to organize a league such as this one,” said Sulit. “Meet ito ng mga malalakas na associations mula sa iba’t-ibang eskwelahan. Hopefully, this is going to be a yearly engagement.”
According to Sulit, the rationale behind this event is to create an in-between league for high school and amateur players.
“Ito yung blangko,” he added. “Look at high school. Mayroon silang Palarong Pambansa. Ang wala sa college yung parang katulad ng Palarong Pambansa. Wala kang nakikitang national meet na tertiary.”
Sulit is hoping a law will be created where there would be a regular national inter-tertiary meet.
“Somebody should create an initiative about this in the Congress,” he added. “We need a regular tertiary meet. Thats’s where the loophole is because after the tertiary level, these players are going to play in more elite leagues.”
The CHED All-Star Friendship Games, which is a selection of players competing from leagues like SCUAA, PRISAA, LCUAA and NAASCU, will wrap up its final day of the tournament today, December 13.
