Girls’ basketball will be a demonstration sport in UAAP
Credit to Author: Tempo Desk| Date: Thu, 08 Aug 2019 06:00:15 +0000
THE UAAP will be featuring girls’ basketball as a demonstration sport when the 82nd season starts in September, the league announced on Thursday.
In its official Twitter account @uaap_official, the league said basketball competitions will start late in October and will have four participating teams namely Adamson, Ateneo, De La Salle-Zobel and University of Santo Tomas.
“It’s a big step forward for women’s basketball,” said Jense
JENSEN Ilagan
n Ilagan, who was recently appointed as UAAP basketball commissioner in the upcoming season.
“This is very important for the development of our women’s players. Schools want to recruit girls out of high school who are already fundamentally sound,” added Erika Dy, UAAP board representative of host school Ateneo.
Dy also said having the girls’ basketball division is consistent with the league’s mission to provide a training ground for future national athletes.
Meanwhile, the league also announced the appointment of Edith Boticario as deputy commissioner for this season.
A former PBA referee and a FIBA-licensed official, Boticario is the first female to be appointed in the position in the history of the league.
The season fires off on Sept. 1 at the Mall of Asia Arena, but sporting activities commence on Sept. 4 with men’s and women’s basketball.
Besides this, the league is hoping that having this tournament will help the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas in identifying the top young prospects for the country’s Girls’ National Team. (KRISTEL SATUMBAGA)