Hard
work paid off for a group of young, aspiring cagers from the Visayas and Mindanao after making heads turn during the Alaxan FR Galing Mo Camp
held at the Unilab gymnasium in Mandaluyong City, Metro Manila.
John
Ballentes and Tyke Bano of Iloilo; Carl Soreno and Josuel Macarines of
Dumaguete; Gabriel Dagangon and Miguel Plata of Davao; and Dan Audris Lagbas,
Rhodelle Nagac, Michael Kent Salado, and Rhys Jefferson Flores (MVP) of Cagayan
De Oro bested 40 other representatives in the three-day basketball camp through
their dazzling display of heart and athleticism.
The
young cagers were each awarded a P100,000 infrastructure project for their
respective barangays, on top of a P20,000 cash incentive. Their stellar
performance got the nod of the camp directors, led by no less than basketball
legends Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry CodiƱera, Benjie Paras, Jojo Lastimosa, Johnny
Abarrientos, and Ronnie Magsanoc.
A
tradition of hard work and dedication
Last
year, the same basketball legends inaugurated the Courts of Inspiration, which are volunteer-built basketball courts
made by the local volunteers from the partner villages in Iloilo, Bacolod,
Dumaguete, Tacloban, and Cebu for the Visayas, and Cagayan de Oro, Iligan,
Butuan, Davao, and Saranggani for Mindanao. Their aim was to inspire
communities to achieve greatness through hard work, after building a basketball
court entirely on their own. The legends themselves even left handprints on
special concrete markers within the structure, reminding people of what hard
work and dedication can bring to a community that works together for a noble
cause.
The
same hoop icons returned to the partner communities early this year to continue
the advocacy—not to build more sports venues, but to see how hard the youth
have worked to improve their basketball skills on the Courts of Inspiration. After conducting basketball clinics, the
legends handpicked the best players, who then flew to Manila to represent their communities in the national leg of the Alaxan FR Galing Mo Camp.
The
aim, this time, was to reward those who trained hard in the Courts of Inspiration to perfect their
basketball skills.
Giving
back to the community
After
winning the tight competition, the winners are now set to return the favor to
the communities that hand-built their hometown basketball courts.
“My friends and I plan to help promote the game of basketball
further by improving the basketball courts back in our province,” said MVP Rhys Jefferson Flores, who bared his plan to add roofing
and proper lighting to existing playing venues.
“What I learned from this experience is something that I will
remember from this day forward: always give your 100% not just to improve your
character but, more importantly, to help others make their lives better.”
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