NBA Community Court opens at Reyes Gym

By Peter Atencio

A TOP-OF-THE-LINE facil- ity will be available to basketball fans and enthusiasts in Mandaluyong City in the coming days.

This became possible last Saturday after NBA Philippines opened its first-ever Community Court at the Reyes Gym in Mandaluyong City.

Sports officials said they hope to help build local basketball communities and provide opportunities for fans and aspiring players to play the game for free at a premier sports facility in Metro Manila.

“We are proud to introduce the first-ever NBA Community Court in the Philippines, which reflects the NBA’s mission to inspire and connect people everywhere through the power of basketball,” said Mae Dichupa, Senior Director of the Global Marketing Partnerships of NBA Philippines.

The collaboration was made official at a launch event at the NBA Community Court, with

Alicia hosts National Chess Championships

TITAN Chief Operating Officer Fatima Pilares.

The facility features an indoor basketball court that can hold regular basketball development events throughout the year. This includes youth and coaches clinics, exhibition games and tournaments.

Over the next few months, the NBA Community Court will host programs that are part of the Jr. NBA, the league’s global youth basketball program.

Scheduled for the coming months are the Jr. NBA Elite Development Camp, a series of invitation-only Jr. NBA clinics, and “Her Time To Play” activities, the league’s initiative to inspire girls ages 7-17 to learn and play basketball in a positive and healthy way.

“TITAN is a valued partner who shares our commitment to community engagement and innovation, and we look forward to offering this platform to Filipino fans and aspiring players at all levels so they can come together around their shared love of the game in a premier sports facility,” said Dichupa.

ALICIA, Isabela—National Chess Federation of the Philippines Region II Director Mayor Joel Amos Alejandro officially opened the 2023 Philippine National Children, Juniors and Senior Chess Championships at the Community Center here on Thursday.

Mayor Alejandro, a chess aficionado himself, said it was the Alicia’s fist time to host a National Chess Championship.

“It is an opportunity for individuals, who have interest and potential in chess to muster greatness and competitiveness in this historic event through a mental sport,” Alejandro said. “I am confident that Alicia will soon become Isabela’s Chess Capital.”

“In addition to chess sport, we will ensure to roll out programs and activities like table tennis, lawn tennis, sepak takraw, among other sports, that are inclusive and accessible to every Aliciano,” the added Alejandro, who was named Honorary National Master during the opening program.

The tournament has 148 registered players, 82 from the Junior Division and 48 in the Children category. Also at stake are national master and woman national master titles in the U-20 and U-12 age divisions.

The International Chess Federation (FIDE)-sanctioned tournament will be played in a Swiss-system format over nine rounds, with a standard time control of 90 minutes and 30-second increments.

The event was made possible through the assistance of chairman/president of the NCFP president Prospero Pichay Jr. and Chief Executive Officer and Grandmaster Jayson Gonzales. It is also backed by Philippine Sport Commission chairman Richard Bachmann and Philippine Olympic Committee president Mayor Abraham Tolentino. Jessica M. Bacud

THE entire Philippine Sports Commission, Board led by chairman Richard Bachmann, will be the major guests in a special two-part session of the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex.

Bachmann is going to be joined by his board, composed of commissioners Olivia ‘Bong’ Coo, Walter Torres, Edward Hayco, and Matthew ‘Fritz’ Gaston.

Bachmann and his commissioners are going to discuss their plans and programs for the remaining half of 2023.

The discussions start at 10 a.m.

Joining them in the forum presented by San Miguel Corporation, MILO, PSC, Philippine Olympic Committee, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation are officials of the Gymnastics Association of the Philippines headed by secretary general Rowena Bautista and competition manager Anna Lou Carreon for the 19th Junior and 14th Senior Rhythmic Asian Championships set to start on Wednesday at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.

The weekly session is livestreamed via the PSA Facebook page fb.com/PhilippineSportswritersAssociation and aired on a delayed basis over Radyo Pilipinas 2, which also shares it on its official Facebook page.