SPORTS
8 | THE CANBERRA REPORTER September 2017
BASKETBALL
Pathway to big time opens
BALL CLUB PROVIDES A BRIDGE FOR ASPIRING YOUNG PLAYERS
THE way has been laid for Filipino-
Australian basketball players to shoot
for the stars in the Philippines’ big-
time.
Western Sydney Basketball
Association (WSBA) has launched
a training program at Kevin Betts
Basketball Stadium that is tied in with
the Philippines’ National Basketball
Training Centre (NBTC).
“We now have exclusive rights
to sending players we select to
Philippine basketball’s exclusive
training program,” said Karlo Basa,
a director of WSBA.
“We sent a team from Sydney to
compete in the Philippines’ high
school championships recently, and
after the tournament three of the
players were offered high school
and college scholarships.”
Because of the tour’s success,
the WSBA received exclusive
partnership with NBTC to send
teams to the Philippines to play at
the tournament every year.
“That tournament is watched by
thousands of scouts from different
schools and colleges,” Basa said.
“The program will give kids an
opportunity to reach their dreams
of playing professional basketball
overseas.
“In addition, the WSBA has
enlisted the services of Mad
Basketball, the preferred trainers
of the Sydney Kings basketball
team, to help improve players’
game.
Basketball players who want
to enlist in the WSBA training
program should come to Kevin
Betts Basketball Stadium in Mount
Druitt on a Thursday night. n
YOUNG GUNS go through the paces under the watchful
eyes of their highly experienced trainers at the Kevin Betts
Baskeball Stadum in Mount Druitt with a view to the future.
KAYLA FRANCHESCA wearing the Philippine Ice Hockey team colours. Inset: Kayla relaxed.
Northsiders prove Attitude pays
NEWCOMERS BEAT HUSKIES FOR THE SAMAHANG BASKETBALL 2017 WINTER TITLE
By CHARLES
ENRIQUEZ
ATTITUDE proved a game-winner for newcomers of the
Samahang Basketball Canberra (SBC) winter competition at
the Australian National University basketball stadium in Bruce
recently.
Northside With Attitude (NWA) took the title by upsetting
season favourites Huskies, 46-42, in a intense final.
As it had been anticipated, the game was very physical and
featured some heated exchanges; on reason why organisers
assigned three referees to make sure there would be no bad
calls.
The Huskies made a lot more errors and missed more shot
attempts in the last quarter.
NWA took exploited advantage and used their big man inside
the paint to grab the rebounds and block shots.
That proved the difference, and it handed over the title to the
Northsiders.
NWA’s Michael Versosa was named the final’s Most Valuable
Player. Most Valuable Player of the winter tournament was
the Mixers’ Gab Selerno. Brandan Fernandez of Oznoy 1 was
named the Most Improved Player f the tournament.
The SBC 2017 summer season basketball tournament kicked
off recently with a field of 10 teams: Huskies, NWA, Oznoy,
Tigers, Boleros, Black Panthers, Mixers 1, Mixers 2, Kuyas
and No Chill. n
WINTER CHAMPIONS. Northside
With Attitude team with the trophy.