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NBTC National Finals to put spotlight on untapped local, Fil-foreign talents

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Levi Joshua Verora Jr.

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img alt="NSNU guard Reinhard Jumamoy; Eric Altamirano, NBTC Program Head; Jude Turcuato, PLDT First Vice President and Head of Sports; Butch Antonio, SBP Deputy Executive Director; NBTC Special Projects Head Anton Altamirano. Photo from NBTC" src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2023/sports/03/02/nbtc3.jpg"/><figcaption>NSNU guard Reinhard Jumamoy; Eric Altamirano, NBTC Program Head; Jude Turcuato, PLDT First Vice President and Head of Sports; Butch Antonio, SBP Deputy Executive Director; NBTC Special Projects Head Anton Altamirano. <em>Photo from NBTC</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>MANILA – As far as its organizers are concerned, the return of the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) National Finals after three years will serve as an avenue for more untapped local and Fil-foreign talents to be discovered and be given ideal professional pathways.</p><p>“That’s the main objective of the program. It’s a talent-identification program. We use the NBTC to get young players to get to college,” Project Director Eric Altamirano said on Thursday at the NBTC National Finals pre-tournament press conference held inside the Mall of Asia Arena.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/03/01/23/adamson-feu-d-secure-playoff-bonus-in-boys-hoops">UAAP: Adamson, FEU-Diliman secure twice-to-beat advantage in boys&#x27; basketball</a></li></ul><p>“Hopefully, they reach their dreams in basketball, but more than basketball, we also want to give them an opportunity to study.”</p><p>A total of 24 high school teams will compete in the competition which shall run from March 15 to 19 at the MOA Arena.</p><p>The pool includes eight foreign-based selections: Team United-USA, Fil-Nation Select-USA, Winnipeg-Canada, Toronto-Canada, Homegrown Crusaders-Australia, Rome Elite-Italy, Pinoy Mavs-New Zealand, and the Dubai Patriots from the Middle East.</p><p>Four slots are likewise reserved for the UAAP and NCAA, whose junior’s basketball tournaments are in their respective homestretches.</p><p>“We couldn’t be any more thrilled to bring the NBTC back. It’s always been our mission to bring the spotlight to the grassroots of Philippine basketball,” Altamirano added.</p><p>“We firmly believe that investing in the future now can only set us up for the brighter tomorrow.”</p><p>Also present in the presser was Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Deputy Executive Director and concurrent Gilas Pilipinas Team Manager Butch Antonio, who recognized the NBTC’s role in giving the federation a good pool of potential youth national team players to choose from.</p><p>“As we’ve had in the previous years, we’ve had our coaches take a look at the players for the whole tournament,” Antonio said.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/03/02/23/kai-sotto-to-focus-on-hiroshimas-bleague-campaign">Kai Sotto to focus on Hiroshima&#x27;s B.League campaign</a></li></ul><p>Notable players who have seen action in the NBTC before include NBA prospect Kai Sotto, current Japan B.League import Thirdy Ravena, Barangay Ginebra’s Arvin Tolentino, Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU)’s Kai Ballungay, and Houston Rockets budding star Jalen Green.</p><p>The 2023 event will likewise feature an all-star schedule slated for Sunday, March 19, consisting of an all-star game, skills challenge, three-point shootout, and dunk contest.</p><div><strong>Historic Women’s National Finals a go</strong></div><p>Meanwhile, fans can also look forward to the NBTC Women’s National Finals which shall happen from March 15 to 17 at the Pretty HUGE facility in SM Aura, Taguig City.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/03/02/23/kai-sotto-excited-to-clash-with-carl-tamayo-in-bleague">Kai Sotto excited to clash with Carl Tamayo in B.League</a></li></ul><p>The eight competing teams are powerhouse Nazareth School-National University, University of Santo Tomas (UST), Miriam College, La Salle-Antipolo, La Filipina Blue Fire (Santa Rosa), Queen Anne School (Santa Rosa), One Ibajay (Aklan), and a Fil-Nation selection.</p><p>The championship will be played on March 19, alongside the Division 1 and Division 2 finals matches, giving a tremendous platform for girls&#x27; high school basketball to shine.</p><p>Altamirano mentioned an overwhelming number of teams expressed interest to join the women’s competition, but the NBTC had to settle for eight for now. Nevertheless, it is very much in the program’s future plans to expand the girls basketball championship pool.</p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/sports/03/01/23/basketball-st-jude-sweeps-xavier-for-pcyaa-crown">Basketball: St. Jude sweeps Xavier for PCYAA crown</a></li></ul><p>“It’s in the pipeline. When NBTC started, may women’s (division) na kami in the first few years. It’s a welcome development for us. We’re given the chance to bring it back and keep it growing,” Altamirano said.</p><p>“Magandang development na may women’s,” Antonio added. “It’s good that the basketball program is developing, kasi ‘yun rin ang sa amin sa SBP, it’s one thing we want to strengthen. NBTC has been a source of talent from before, and we will continue. There is no need to reinvent that wheel.”</p><div><strong>RELATED VIDEO </strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe allow="autoplay; fullscreen" frameBorder="0" height="100%" id="ivsplayer01" scrolling="no" src="https://player.ivideosmart.com/ivsplayer/v4/dist/html/iframe-src.html?iframeid=ivsplayer01&amp;key=e8c22c015ca9eafa76f1e3edfa03c603&amp;spid=3001339&amp;vid=2486598" width="100%"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more News on <a href="https://www.iwanttfc.com/#!/browse/Genres/News/tag_id_genres/id_news" target="_blank">iWantTFC</a></div>

MANILA – As far as its organizers are concerned, the return of the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) National Finals after three years will serve as an avenue for more untapped local and Fil-foreign talents to be discovered and be given ideal professional pathways.