THE REGION’S up-and-coming players will be putting on display their skills when the SBP Under 18 3X3 Pambansang Tatluhan Regional Finals kicks off tomorrow at the Sisters of Mary School Boystown Complex in Minglanilla town, south Cebu.
Some 32 teams will see action in the boys’ division, while 15 squads will battle on the hardcourt in the girls’ division.
The tournament is projected to be a wide-open race as the boys’ division defending champions, University of the Visayas, and girls’ division champion, Abellana National School, begged off from competing because of more pressing commitments.
Some schools from Cebu City are also skipping the tournament to focus on the upcoming season of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI).
Teams to watch in the boy’s division are the three squads put up by Cebu Province as well as three teams from Bohol. In the girls’ division, expected to hog the limelight is Compre-A, which finished as the first runner-up in both the under 17 and 15 3×3 tournaments last year.
Teams in the boys division will be split into eight groups. Each group will be composed of four squads with the top two teams qualifying for the knockout playoff stage — the Round of 16, quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
On the other hand, competing teams in the girls’ division will be divided into four with each group comprising four teams.
Top two squads will advance to the knockout playoffs — the quarterfinals, semifinals and finals.
Champions in the two divisions will get P10,000 each, while the first and second runners-up will get P3,000 and P2,000, respectively.
The champions will also be awarded an all-expense paid trip to Manila to compete in the National Finals slated May 19-20 at the Robinsons Place Manila.