BACOLOD City – Team Thunderbolts/El Tzino bested all their opposition to rule the 15-and-under category of the MDC 3×3 Bacolod City Champions recently.
Led by Dave Recodo, Kyle Barrieta, Jhal Sultan, and Chino Uy, Team Thunderbolts cruised to a dominant win over Talisay Kenn in the championship round.
Recodo was later hailed as the Most Valuable Player of their category, which was participated by around 80 squads from Bacolod City and Negros Occidental area.
“Hats off to these players for going all the way to win the championship because it was definitely tiring to play consecutive game in two days,” said head coach Yong Despi.
“This is just the start for us. We will prepare for the MDC 3×3 basketball tournament’s national finals. We still have a lot to improve,” added the Bacolod Tay Tung High School basketball coach.
Despi’s other team, Team Thunderbolts of John Ray Castiller, Mike Estelloso, Josh Dignadice and Dylan Despi, faltered in the semifinals round in the 18-and-under category.
In other results in the Bacolod leg, Team Kenn clinched the gold in the 13-and-under withbZai John Sarmiento as MVP, Team El Tzino in the women’s open with Melchar Jerez as MVP, Team Kenn in 18-and-under with Nap Aleligay as MVP and Team Blakk in the 21-and-under with Lance Benitez as MVP.
Over at the Aklan leg, Team Malay was hailed as the champions in 18-U, Malay A in the 15-U, Team ALS in the womens open, Team IJA in the 13-U and Team Torch Bearer in the 21-U.
Alaine Diaz de Leon of the MDC 3×3 basketball said that the Bacolod and the Aklan legs were just the start of the tournament’s competiton in the Western Visayas.
“We have Roxas City leg on May7 and 8, Iloilo leg on May 14 and 15, then Antique, Boracay and Pototan. We also have legs in Cebu and Davao,” De Leon said./PN
