By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
The Jose “Jobol” Piamonte Memorial Cup, organized by prominent sports figure Dr. Richard Gabayoyo, was a successful event in the Province of Guimaras.
From May 25 to May 26, 2024, the Buenavista basketball gym in Guimaras hosted the top Under-22 basketball players in Western Visayas, all aiming for the prestigious tournament title.
After two days of intense basketball action, the talented hoopers from Mina emerged as champions, defeating the team from Ibajay, Aklan, who claimed the first runner-up honors.
Dracarys Antique secured the second runner-up spot, while the Santa Clarita Primes from Iloilo finished as third runner-up. The Guimaras Leopards took the fourth runner-up position, and the Barotac Viejo Sleepers rounded out the top finishers as fifth runner-up.
Dr. Gabayoyo dedicated the tournament to his mentor, the late Mr. Piamonte, who made significant contributions to local sports in Western Visayas.
Mr. Piamonte was a former technical representative of the Philippines to the Asian Basketball Confederation and served as the Regional Director of the Basketball Association of the Philippines.
He also held positions as Sports Director of the University of Iloilo and coach of the Negros Navigation commercial basketball team.
In 1998, Mr. Piamonte gained recognition as the tournament director of the Adidas Streetball Challenge in Iloilo City.
“Sir Jobol kept reminding us about values, attitude, and skills that we need to develop. He mentored me in so many things in life. He shared his knowledge and expertise with us,” said Dr. Gabayoyo in an exclusive interview with the Daily Guardian.
