ILOILO City – Ten squads are competing in the Iloilo Schools Development Basketball Tournament U-17 boys which starts today at the Ledesco Campus of Hua Siong College of Iloilo here.
According to tournament organizer Bayani RH Ladrido, the 10 Iloilo City-based high school basketball squads have been divided into two groups and will compete among their groupmates.
Group A is composed of Hua Siong College of Iloilo Red Phoenix, Sun Yat Sen High School A, Mandurriao National High School, Integrated Academy School System, and Ateneo de Iloilo.
Meanwhile, the five squads in Group B are Sun Yat Sen High School B, Santa Clarita International School Primes, St. Robert’s International Academy Panda Rockets, PAREF Westbridge School Iloilo, and Central Philippine University Golden Lions.
“The squads will first compete among their groupmates and the top teams from each group automatically advance to the semifinal round,” Ladrido said.
“Then the second and third teams from each group will play in crossover format with the two surviving teams competing in the semifinals round and later in the championship round,” he added.
This is the first time that the premier junior basketball tournament in the city is making a return after it was cancelled the past two years due to the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic.
“We are glad with the return of the tournament after it was cancelled the past two years due to COVID-19 pandemic,” Ladrido said. “It is also a welcome that 10 teams have answer our call to compete here.”
Games in the Iloilo Schools Development Basketball Tournament U-17 boys are to be played every Saturday and Sunday, except for two weekday games before the 2022 break.
“Then the tournament will resume on weekend only again on January 7 and 8 until we crown our champion team,” Ladrido said./PN
