FORMER San Miguel Beer mainstay Norbert “Bitoy” Omolon will try to inspire participants of the Tailor Made-Gear Up basketball tournament awarding night on Sunday evening, December 22, at Loreto’s Grill restaurant along Tomas Saco Street, Cagayan de Oro City.
Now a successful businessman in his native town of Talakag, Bukidnon, 38 kilometers away from Cagayan de Oro City, Omolon will speak to more than a hundred participants and guests.
He will speak about his 12-year long Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) career and how he started as a player from Talakag and his adventures in Manila while he was recruited collegiate basketball for the Philippine Christian University Dolphins.
Now in his 40’s, Omolon has retired from the PBA in 2016 after stints with Sta. Lucia Realty, Meralco Bolts, Air 21 and San Miguel Beer.
He was drafted 8th overall in the 2004 PBA draft that included Rich Alvarez, Marc Pingris, James Yap, Ranidel de Ocampo, Gary David, Sonny Thoss and Wesley Gonzales.
Omolon’s talk will be the highlight of the sidelights of the Tailor Made-Gear Up 3-day tournament which will open on Friday, December 20, 4 p.m. at the Barangay Gusa gym.
Opening ceremony is set at 5:30 p.m. right the opening game between Bukidnon and Iligan City at 4 p.m. The second match will pit host Cagayan de Oro City versus Malaybalay City at 6 p.m. while cities of Iligan and Valencia will clash in the night cap.
Part of the sidelights of the tournament will be a talk to the parents by Dr. Edralin C. Manla at 10 a.m. on December 21 at the Mc Donalds in Gusa. Manla is the director of Xavier University’s IDEA Program.
The players and parents will then have a movie bonding at SM Cinema Downtown watching the most recent Star Wars movie at 12 noon. Participating teams are Ballhood from Cagayan de Oro city of coach Gilbey Martinez and coach Gamaliel C. Pallo, Bukidnon Faith Christian School under coaches Brande Martinez and Ronald Salubo, Team Sparrows also from Bukidnon, Zamboanga del Sur National High School of coaches Julius Andale and Nathaniel D Maghinay, and Spearheads team of Malaybalay Bukidnon and Coach Gang Team of Iligan City of coaches Viane Larios and Stef Bangloy.
The elimination round will be in the afternoon of December 20 to 21 while the semis will be in the morning of December 22 while the championship will be in the afternoon.
Winners will get trophies and medals while top players will also be honored during the awards night. The teams were divided into two groups with the top two teams advancing to the knockout semis with the winners advancing to the championship. The semis losers will play for the third place.
(l.biantan@gmail.com)