AFTER back-to-back restrictions due to the Covid-19 pandemic, young aspiring basketball enthusiasts of Tanjay City have something to look forward to after the Pepe’s Sports Basketball Clinic finally got underway at the Sta. Cruz Gymnasium in Tanjay City, Negros Oriental.
The free sports basketball clinic, which is being spearheaded by former Tanjay City Vice Mayor Pepe Orlino, is open for kids 6 to 15 years old in the 24 barangays of Tanjay City and will be conducted every Sunday of the week.
The opening salvo of the event, which was supposed to be launched two years ago but was sidelined due to the Covid-19 pandemic, drew a total of 100 participants from around Barangay Sta. Cruz.
The second leg held last March 6 at the Manipis Gym drew around 70 participants.
“This clinic is aimed at developing the talents of the kids in Tanjay City,” said Orlino, who is also a basketball enthusiast.
He also added that the program, which will run year-round around the barangays of Tanjay City, will be conducted by former members of Team Tanjay Basketball, spearheaded by former University of the Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers stalwart Chippy “Olsen” Rosales in the then-Cebu Amateur Athletic Association (CAAA) league in Cebu City.
Helping Rosales, who also played for the Pagadian Explorers in the National Basketball Conference (NBC), are former University of San Jose Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars Manny Gabas and Marvin Duran, Negros Oriental State University (NORSU) off-guard Kobe Villacampa and Foundation University big man Jovannie Aguilar.
Also in the list of trainors are ex-University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (UNO-R) shooting-guard Nino Rubas, former ACSAT-Manila cager Jhong-jhong Casil, ACSAT-Dumaguete Gogoy Lado and Diaz College players Pedro Tubat, Reydan Lado and Al Rebadomia. (Contributed by Jade S. Violeta)