SBP Passerelle tournament kicks off today
ACL injury ‘most tragic part of sports’- Thompson
Sports leaders Edward Hayco and Lorenzo “Chao” Sy have come to terms to unite for the common good and betterment of athletes regardless of what positions they hold in the Cebu City Sports Commission. Contrary to earlier reports by multiple media outlets, Hayco will stay as CCSC chairman, making him the longest person to hold the lofty post.
Chao Sy, on the other hand, has been named as vice chairman, something that has been done for the first time since the creation of the sports commission in 1998.
These developments are stipulated in memorandum 20190232 issued by Mayor Edgar Labella’s office duly signed by the mayor himself last July 30.
Hayco, who has previously served as chairman under the leadership of then mayor and now vice mayor Michael Rama and former mayor Tomas Osmena, said they will continue to work as one for the sake and welfare of the athletes.
Also named part of the CCSC as commissioners are three individuals from the private sector — Benedict Sun, Francis Nicholas Voltaire Malilong, and coach Jessica Jawad-Honoridez.
From the government side, named sports commissioners are councilors Jessica Resch, being the chairman of the City Council’S committee on Youth and Sports, Antonio Cuenco, the chairman of the committee on Education, Science and Technology, Raymond Garcia, the chairman on budget and finance, and DepEd’s Bianito Dagatan.
Amilo Lopez has been named CCSC executive director.
Councilor Dondon Hontiveros, who’s name was not in the memo, also has a seat in the commission being the City Council’s committee chairman on Games and Amusements and vice chairperson in Youth and Sports.
CCSC’s new set of commissioners had their first meeting yesterday at the CCSC conference room at the Cebu City Sports Center.
Aside from Hayco and Sy, also present were Hontiveros, Malilong, and Honoridez.
Hayco and Chao Sy did not issue any statements to the media but before the start of the meeting, Hayco revealed to the body and the reporters around that he and Sy have met a day before and talked about some issues and concerns, all for the good of the athletes and the City’s sports program.
Hayco said everything is now water under the bridge along with a promise that they will work hand-in-hand under the wings of CSCC.
The 34th SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament backed by Milo kicks off today with a doubleheader featuring age group powerhouse University of the Visayas at the Sacred Heart School Mango Avenue campus gym.
Defending champion UV faces SHS-Ateneo de Cebu in a rematch of the 2018 finals of the Small Basketeers Philippines (SBP) division. The SBP Lancers are fresh from winning the CYBL Summer League, are set to winning a second straight title and a trip back to the national finals where they placed second to national champion La Salle Greenhills.
Meanwhile, the UV Passerelle team plays Sisters of Mary School-Boystown in a Passerelle division game. UV place second to SHS-Ateneo in 2018 and is also hell-bent to regain their title. A short opening ceremony will kick off hostilities as all teams will be present.
Warriors star Klay Thompson, in his first in-depth interview since suffering a torn ACL in Game 6 of the NBA Finals in June, characterized the injury as “obviously the most tragic part of sports,” saying he was humbled when Golden State then offered him a five-year max contract.
“I knew I did something. But I’ve never had the severity of an ACL injury or an injury that bad,” Thompson told ESPN’s Cari Champion in an interview during a “Call of Duty: Modern Warfare” promotional event Thursday in Los Angeles. “So me, personally, I didn’t think it was that bad, initially. My adrenaline was so high being Game 6, whatever. I thought I sprained my knee; that’s all I thought it was.
“But when I went back to the locker room, it swelled up a lot, didn’t feel right. It’s just not a good feeling when you feel helpless and the team’s out there competing.”
Thompson, a month removed from surgery to repair his left knee, is expected to make a full recovery and follow a standard recovery time.
The SBP Passerelle Twin Tournament backed by Milo is one of the longest running basketball leagues for the age group segment. It was established by BEST Center founder Coach Nic Jorge who started the country’s first school for basketball that focused on the basics of the sport.
The tournament was an offshoot of the clinics with Milo as a partner since the beginning. The tournament adopts the unique rule/format that requires all 15 players of a team to see action. Different sets of five players play in the first three periods of the game, while the fourth period is a free-for-all situation for the coach.
The Cebu leg’s teams are Univ. of the Visayas, SHSAteneo de Cebu, Don Bosco Technical College Cebu, University of San Carlos, Southwestern UniversityPHINMA and Sisters of Mary School-Boystown.
“I’ve heard varying opinions about, especially medically, I don’t want to rush it ‘cause I want to play until I’m 38, 39, 40 years old,” Thompson said. “That’s my plan, especially because the way I can shoot the ball. I would love to see the floor this season. I don’t know when that is.”
Thompson said the Warriors had been fortunate to extend their success as long as they did without running into a spate of injuries like they experienced in the Finals, during which he went down after the Warriors had lost Kevin Durant to a ruptured Achilles tendon.
“So many great teams in history, not only basketball but all sports, have been struck by an injury bug,” Thompson told ESPN’s Champion. “And us, the Warriors, we were, that five-year run we had, five straight Finals, we were very lucky. We obviously had bumps in the road, but nothing as traumatic as what me and Kevin went through.”
“So it was humbling, but the Warriors showed their loyalty and their respect for me, offering me that five-year deal,” Thomson said of his new $190 million contract. “Jumped on that as soon as I could, just because the history with this team and the franchise it would be so hard to leave. And the feeling of, you know, unfinished business, getting that close in the Finals, or to the fourth championship -- tasting it -- just being out of reach.
“It’s the pain of sports, but it’s what keeps me motivated.”
Thompson, 29, tore the ACL when he landed hard on a breakaway dunk attempt in the third quarter of Game 6. Golden State was leading 83-80 at the time; the Toronto Raptors went on to win 114-110 to finish off a 4-2 series victory and end the Warriors’ two-year run as NBA champions.
Several key pieces from that Golden State team have since been lost to free agency, forcing the Warriors to rebuild with what Thompson said were “guys who fit our system.”-ESPN5