The call to shift the UAAP Juniors’ basketball tournament from first to second semester has got another essential backing after the Philippine youth team head coach himself Jamike Jarin expressed his support to the proposition.
photo credit: Spin.ph (Jerome Ascano)
Jarin, the Under 17 and Under 18 squad bench-tactician believes that the move of the original calendar for juniors’ caging will be beneficial for the league, for the national team and to the high school players as well as it would settle the conflict of the schedule of the tournament and the preparation for the international competitions.
“I’m personally appealing to the UAAP and NCAA because I heard that the UAAP might push its juniors’ basketball tournament to the second semester. It will benefit the high school players.” Jarin said. (Statements from Spin.ph)
The mulit-titled coach also shared that there will be two major tourneys that the country will be participating come August and September these are the Fiba World under 17 championship and under 18 championship which might cause difficulty again with the schedule of this year’s UAAP or even NCAA high school games.
It can be remembered that last September, the juniors’ finals between NU and Ateneo was delayed for a couple of weeks to give way for the Philippine quintet youngsters, who are mostly drafted from the Blue Eaglets.
The under 16 team then, (under 17 campaigners on August) secured a spot in the World championship after finishing second to China in the Dubai competition last year.
“The primary problem is in the Asia school calendar, tayo lang ang hindi summer ang August, and tournaments are usually held in August and September,” Jarin explained.
A former Ateneo jrs coach himself, Jarin also thinks that parting the juniors’ division with the seniors’ tournament would give the high school players more exposure and fan support.
“Kapag nagkakasabay ‘yung college at high school, ang nangyayari, walang nakakapanood sa mga bata and exposure is lessened. At least kung hindi sabay, maraming makakasuporta sa mga bata.” He said.
The proposal of the transfer is said to be up for discussion of the league’s amendments committee.