Press Release: MILO-BEST Center SBP-Passerelle Tournament

[Above]: BEST Center athletes from La Salle Greenhills and Xavier High School compete at the 2012 SBP-Passerelle twin tournament.

MILO-BEST Center SBP-Passerelle Tournament Picks Up Pace

43 teams from NCR vie for glory in nationwide inter-school basketball league.

MANILA, PHILIPPINES, August 6, 2012 – The country’s most renowned annual interschool league for elementary and high school basketball players, the SBP-Passerelle twin tournament, recently opened its 27th season with 43 school teams in attendance at the Xavier High School Gym in San Juan City.  The weekend tournament sponsored by MILO^®  and organized by the award-winning Basketball Efficiency Scientific Training Center (BEST Center) aims to equip players aged 9 to 14 with the fundamentals of basketball, as well as with character-forming values such as discipline, sportsmanship and camaraderie.

[Above]: BEST Center alumnus and former PBA Fiesta Conference Finals MVP Jonas Villanueva administers the jump ball at the opening ceremonies of the 2012 SBP-Passerelle twin tournament NCR Leg.

The SBP – Passerelle NCR championship leg is slated on September 16 in San Juan City, the Mindanao championship leg on October 19 – 22 in Davao, the Luzon championship leg on November 2 – 5 in Pampanga, and the Visayas championship leg on November 16 – 19 in Iloilo. The 2012 SBP – Passerelle National Finals will be held from November 30 to December 2 in Visayas.

Present at the 2012 SBP-Passerelle twin tournament opening ceremonies were BEST Center founder and former national basketball team coach Nic Jorge, MILO sports executive Robbie de Vera and B-MEG Llamados point guard Jonas Villanueva. Villanueva, a former PBA Fiesta Conference Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP), shared insights and lessons learned from his own SBP-Passerelle experience. Villanueva credits his training at BEST Center for his three Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Obstacle Challenge Championship titles, and believes that the tournament provides an opportunity for the Filipino youth to discover their winning potential.

Held in line with MILO’s commitment to building champions in sports and in life, the BEST Center’s SBP – Passerelle twin tournament furthers a shared vision of promoting sports from the grassroots level and developing the country’s next generation of basketball heroes. The SBP-Passerelle twin tournament has produced the likes of PBA Philippine Cup finals Most Valuable Player Larry Fonacier, Smart-Gilas Pilipinas captain Chris Tiu, Powerade Tigers all-star guard JV Casio and reigning PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals MVP James Yap.

For more details, like and  visit BEST Center Facebook page here.