UCAAP cage tilt opens

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr.

THE much-awaited Universities and Colleges Athletic Association of Pangasinan (UCAAP) Jimmy Fernandez Basketball Challenge was officially opened last Thursday afternoon at Dr. Salvador T. Duque Fieldhouse at Tapuac, Dagupan City. The opening ceremony was conducted with a lot fanfare and most importantly also observed the battle of two title-contenders between the defending champion Lyceum Northwestern University (LNU) Dukes and the visiting International College of Excellence (ICE) Maharlika of Urdaneta City.

Luckily, the Dukes of Atty. Gonzalo T. Duque survived the intensely contested match, 85-83, (see related story on this page) to the delight of the partisan crowd. The gymnasium was in fully packed for the game attended by Calasiao hizzoner and 2016 vice gubernatorial candidate Mark Roy Macanlalay as guest of honor and speaker, representing his tandem the former fifth district congressman Mark Cojuangco. Also there were Abono Partylist chairman Engr. Rosendo So, Engr. Danny Lim of ICE, Atty. Revene Carrera of PIMSAT, Ms Lia Sanarez of UPang-PHINMA, the league’s commissioner and former PBA player Christian Calaguio and his assistant and also ex-PBA cager Jun Marzan, to name some. And of course the energetic Gonz Duque, the new prexy of UCAAP who delivered the welcome address.

“This is the real basketball league of the province where the best dribblers in Pangasinan tertiary caging meet and tangle with each other,” said Duque, mentioning all the names of the participating teams especially the visitors Urdaneta City based ICE, LNU-Urdaneta, Philippine Colleges of Science and Technology (PCST) of Calasiao, Pangasinan State University (PSU) of Lingayen, and yes, the host LNU Dagupan, UPang-PHINMA, PIMSAT and AIE. “Mas ok pang mangolekta ng maraming talo, kalaban ang mga pinakamagagaling kaysa mag-ipon ng maraming kampeonato, kalaban ang mas mahihina sa akin,” added Duque, borrowing the axiom of world famous and multi-titled tennis player Pete Sampras. I surmise he was referring to some institutions here in Dagupan City that declined to join the league for fear they would have no chance at all to win the title. Cowards? He also thanked Engr. So of Abono Partylist for donating 100k for UCAAP.

Duque also explained that whoever wins the tournament will officially represent the province of Pangasinan in the Philippine Collegiate Champions’ League (PCCL) northern-central Luzon area which will be hosted by Dagupan City for the first time this coming November. He said phase two will be participated in by the best in Region 1, Cordillera, Tarlac, Pampanga and Zambales. Then the winner will battle the best in the southern Luzon region to eventually enter the top 16 teams for the Manila joust which PCCL calls it “Sweet Sixteen” – the scramble among all Philippines top college cagers to include the seeded teams from NCAA and UAAP and the best from the Visayas and Mindanao for the title via knockout system.

As far I’m concerned, the UCAAP tournament which is affiliated with PCCL is the legitimate college basketball tiff here in the province because it is the road for the national championship through PCCL. PCCL is the only authentic meeting of all the best college cagers in the entire archipelago unlike the PRISAA, NAASCU, SCUAA, which are just collisions among second or third string institutions. “You have to fight the best, if you want to be the best,” once said by Belgian cyclist Eddy Merckx during his heydays echoing what the greatest heavyweight boxer Muhammad Ali said. Merckx conquered all the most prestigious races in the world not only once but many times like the Tour de France, Tour of Italy, Tour of Spain to prove to the people that he’s really the best in the world. That should be done also here in Pangasinan especially in Dagupan. But unfortunately there are institutions here although title hungry are very selective in joining any cage hostility. “Wala silang b_, sa madaling salita,” said LNU head coach Angel Gumarang. I agree.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: And Jesus said “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” MATTHEW 7: 78

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