By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
One of the newest and highly-anticipated basketball leagues in Iloilo City successfully kicked off its first-ever season last July 16, 2023.
Despite the unfavorable weather conditions, nothing can stop the passionate ballers from the Alta Tierra Village Basketball Club (ATVBC) to hold its opening ceremony.
Initially postponed due to the heavy rains in the past few days, the organizing committee decided to push through with the grand opening held at the Alta Tierra Village basketball gym which was graced by almost 100 hoopers.
A mix of the veterans and the new breed of Alta Tierra aspiring ballers, the ATVBC made it known during their opening what was their main goal: To help the kids take the first step in reaching their dreams with the guidance of their mentors/kuyas.
Club President Mr. Ryan Cristobal began the opening with his remarks, reiterating that the ATVBC was built not only for the main purpose of hooping but to also build a new bond and family spirit within the Alta Tierra community.
Inno Miclat, one of the most popular three-point snipers in Iloilo, then gave his speech in the closing remarks as the main organizer of the ATVBC.
“Sadyahun ta gd ini ang aton liga. Para ini sa tanan, at last, natigayun na gd man ang dugay na namon gina plano para sa aton diri nga mga taga Alta Tierra. Thank you to all sponsors kag thank you man sa pag supporta nyo sa ATVBC!” Miclat said.
The program was supposed to begin with a three-point shootout when the rain kept going but after the sun came out, the ATVBC decided to mop the court and start with their first game of the league.
A nail-biting game between team BOK and team Inno officially marked the start of the ATVBC preliminaries played under the usual ball club format.
Despite the early three-point barrage from team Inno, team BOK’s experience and paint advantage rose to the occasion, helping them clinch their first win of the conference, 69-64.
Arnold Evangelista was in the zone against team INNO and was hailed as the Best Player of the Game, scoring 20 big points while grabbing nine rebounds in the victory.
The second game was already nearing the second half but the rain once again caused disturbance in the playing venue, forcing the main organizers to postpone the rest of the schedule.
