Sports: Coca Cola PBA Young Stars Tourney Opens May 5
Barako Bulls-Stallions and Meralco Volts-Mansilingan Christian Academy open hostilities in the provincial eliminations of the 2012 Coca Cola PBA Young Stars tournament on Saturday, May 5 at West Negros University gym in Bacolod City.
Game time is set at 8:30 a.m. following a brief opening ceremony organized by league commissioner Jake Azucena under the direction of Samahang Basketbolista ng Pilipinas (SBP) provincial coordinator Anthony Carlo Agustin.
Talk n Text-St. John’s Institute A team battles Petron Blaze-SJI B in the second game. Ginebra San Miguel-West Negros University and Air 21-University of St. La Salle square off at 1:30 p.m. while Alaska Aces-UNO-R and Rain or Shine-Bacolod Tay Tung High School complete the opening day schedule at 3:00.
B Meg Llamados-St. Joseph’s High School debut against Air 21 in bracket A at 8:00 a.m. on May 6 to be followed by Powerade Coca Cola-Bacolod Christian Center of Negros and Rain or Shine at 9:30. Barako Bulls and Ginebra San Miguel test each other at 1:30 while Talk n Text and Alaska Aces jockey for the lead in bracket B.
Each team is composed of 12 players who are residents of the city or municipality he is representing for at least a year.
There must be 3 players aged 13 (born 1999) and same number aged 14, 15, and 16 respectively.
Provincial legs are scheduled May 5 to 15 with Pangasinan, Pampanga and Isabela in Northern Luzon. Laguna, Cavite and Batangas comprise Southern Luzon while Cebu, Bacolod and Iloilo are the Visayas group. Davao,Cagayan de Oro and General Santos are the sites in Mindanao.
Regional finals is set May 19-20 while the National Finals is on May 27 to June 1. Each regional champion shall advance and joins the top 2 teams from Metro Manila. The 6 teams shall play a single round robin and the top two disputing the title.
Barako, Meralco, Ginebra, Air 2‘ and B - Meg are lumped in bracket A while Talk n Text, Petron, Alaska, Rain or Shine and Powerade Coca Cola are in bracket B.* (HGDoble)
