New Westminster, British Columbia — Team Budget played its very best on the court and won the Championship of the Men’s Friendship Basketball League organized by Migrante BC.
Team players with Coach Ben Lopez and corporate sponsor Bob Akehurst from Budget posed proudly with their medals and trophy to the loud cheers of their families and friends. The second place went to Team D’ Hipers and third place to Team Black Riders.
Ronald Ordinario of Migrante BC’s Sports and Recreation Committee declared, “This Friendship League definitely had a good line up of basketball teams. Team Budget‘s getting the championship today was made sweeter by the supportive presence of their Budget sponsor in the audience. Migrante thanks all the teams who joined the League.”
The final and championship round of the Migrante Basketball League on July 18th was the culmination of 12-weeks of Sunday basketball games held at the Glenbrook Middle School gymnasium since April 26, 2015.
Ten (10) teams competed in the League — Barako (with coach Kristian Asuncion), Stallion (with coach Teddy Oropel), Lakay (with coach Mario Orenzo), Black Riders (with coach Gerole Billedo), Flight (with coach Roldan Baculi), Kingcrest Cavs (Rodolfo Dumaliang), Budget (with coach Ben Lopez), Shots Fired (with coach JR Valdez), Dark Knights (with coach Mark Salgado), and D’ Hipers (with coach Jayson Caruso).
The Mythical Five medals were awarded to Eric Publico and Patrick, both of Team D’Hipers, Matthew Goroza and Gerard Bautista of Team Budget, and Darwin Coleta of Team Black Riders for their valuable contributions to their teams.
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The Mythical Five awardees excelled in their skills in rebound, assist, steal and offense, earned average points at each game and achieved perfect attendance as well.
The trophy for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) for the League was awarded to Gerald Bautista of Team Budget for showing prowess in rebound, assist, offense, and block shots. Meanwhile, the trophy for the Most Valuable Player (MVP) in the Finals went to Gabe Corpuz, also of Team Budget.
The Three-Point Shot Medal was won by Team Budget’s Gerald Bautista who bested all the other players in making the most number of shots through the basket.
Referees Hermie de Guzman, Jon Carolino and Fred Caacbay made sure the games ran smoothly.
Migrante volunteers Aileen Villeta, Nie-ann Amante, Ronald Ordinario, and Jane Ordinario served as score keepers and commentators.
Mable Elmore, MLA of Vancouver-Kensington and Erie Maestro from the Vancouver Public Library presented the trophies and medals to the players and teams.
Migrante BC is a Filipino grassroots organization launched in 2008 to honour the legacy of the late Anakpawis Member of Philippine Congress Crispin “Ka Bel” Beltran who had always fought for the rights and welfare of migrant workers.
For more information about the next basketball league in September, please call Ronald Ordinario of Migrante’s Sports and Recreation Committee at 604-677-4708 or e-mail migrante.bc@gmail.com.
