Tacloban City— The Eastern Visayas Collegiate Athletic Association (EVCAA) will hold the first season of its collegiate basketball tournament on January 26, 2019.
Julius Ross Lacaba, the tournament commissioner, said that the event is the first in Eastern Visayas.
“Our vision is that we will be able to produce players who will compete in the national and international basketball tournaments,” Lacaba said.
Lacaba added that EVCAA will conduct yearly sports tournaments and capacity building of in-house coaches.
Comprised of different State Colleges and Universities (SUCs) in Eastern Visayas, EVCAA’s upcoming basketball tournament is being supported by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the basketball governing body authorized by the country and sanctioned by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).
Lacaba said EVCAA is patterned around the concept and structure of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletics Association (NCAA), two of the premier collegiate athletic association in the country.
“We have invited all the 10 SUCs in the region and most of them expressed willingness to join,” Lacaba said.
According to Lacaba, the basketball tournament will give opportunities for student-athletes in the region to develop their skills and get more exposure, saying that the games will be live-streamed in social media and broadcasted live in a local television channel.
“Our players joined the State Colleges and Universities Athletic Associations (SCUAA) and Private Schools Athletic Association (PRISAA), but the games are only for one week. While EVCAA’s tournament will be played for the entire semester, during Saturdays and Sundays” said Lacaba.
Meanwhile, Lacaba expressed his gratitude to Leyte 1st District Congressman Ferdinand Martin Romualdez and his wife First District Congresswoman Yedda Marie Romualdez and the Tingog Sinirangan party list for supporting the tournament.
“We’re actually creating an opportunity for grassroots sports development,” said Jude Acidre, second nominee of Tingog Sinirangan party list.
According to Acidre, the tournament will improve the level of competition among student-athletes in the Eastern Visayas.
They will also give capacity building to referees and coaches to improve their work.
On December 15-16, EVCAA hosted a basketball orientation and coaches enhancement program for the competition through Michael Reyes Jr., the present Head Coach of Cebu City’s South Western University Phinma, Seniors Team, and Jerry Guzman Abuyabor, the present Regional Director for Region 8’s Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas and the present Head Coach for South Western University Phinma, 18 and under Team.
Lacaba said they will be bringing in top personalities in basketball from Manila during the opening of the games.
