SILAY City – Iloilo City-based ballclub Elite Lab will be one of the four teams competing in the 21-Under category of the 1st Mayor Joedith C. Gallego Invitational Basketball Tournament beginning today at the NGVSSC Gym here.
Negrense forward Irele Galas, a standout from St. Robert’s International Academy Panda Rockets, is expected to lead the charge for the John Guanco-mentored Elite Lab.
Galas is one of the consistent performers of the the team that he is drawing interest from Manila-based schools like De La Salle University, University of the Philippines and University of the East.
“Irele is one of our key players here in Elite Lab. He is also one of our hardworking players so it is not a surprise that he is drawing interest from a number of schools in Manila,” said Elite Lab founder Eugene Chua.
“He had a tryout recently with La Salle and UP and both school were very interested at him then the coaching staff of UE is set to fly here in Silay City to take a look at him,” he added.
Chua said that this could be the 6-foot-3 La Carlota City, Negros Occidental-native winger’s last tournament with the Elite Lab before deciding on which school to play for college in Manila.
“We are studying all the offers. In fact, it is not important to us who has the best offers monetarily but who could give him the best opportunity to shine and improve as a player,” Chua said.
The Elite Lab is one of the favored teams in the Under-21 category after recently bagging championships in a number of local basketball leagues in Iloilo.
“We will be bringing in a solid group here but we could not underestimate our opponents here because we only shared the same hunger and desire to win,” Chua said.
Aside from Elite Lab, other teams competing in the U-21 category were Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu, 1Silay Sports and University of St. La Salle-Bacolod.
The three-day tournament will also have Under-18 category (1Silay Sports, Ateneo de Cebu, Ateneo de Iloilo and Bacolod Tay Tung), and Under-16 (1Silay Sports, Ateneo de Cebu, Sharks Sports and Bacolod Tay Tung)./PN
