Cesafi officials and the candidates of the Miss Cesafi 2024 pose for a group photo during the press conference at the SM Seaside City Cebu. | By Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (Cesafi) is set to expand its basketball offerings this season by introducing an Under-15 boys’ basketball tournament, complementing its three existing divisions.
This addition aims to bridge the gap for this specific age group by expanding the basketball tournament to four distinct categories: Men’s, High School, Under-12, and Under-15.
The announcement was made by longtime Cesafi commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy during the official launch and press conference held at SM Seaside City Cebu on Thursday, September 19.
“The parents of various schools approached the Cesafi board with a request to add a 15-under category,” Tiukinhoy explained.
“There are many players who are too old for the Under-12 division but too young for the Under-18. Thus, we decided to create the Under-15 division, which will see participation from several Cesafi member schools.”
Among those present at the launch were members of the Cesafi Board of Directors, including Smart Communications Regional Head Alexis Winters, as well as representatives from PLDT and Cebu Landmasters.
This season will feature eight teams competing in the newly established Under-15 division, alongside 12 teams in the high school category, nine in the college division, and five in the Under-12 category.
The eight schools vying for the inaugural title in the Under-15 basketball division are Benedicto College, Cebu Eastern College (CEC), Don Bosco Technical College (DBTC), Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC), University of San Carlos (USC), University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R), University of Southern Philippines (USPF), and the University of the Visayas (UV).
Enhanced Broadcasting
In addition to the new Under-15 division, Cesafi is committed to improving its broadcasting capabilities in collaboration with Smart Communications.
Tiukinhoy announced that the production team has acquired five new cameras to enhance the coverage of both basketball and volleyball games throughout the season.
Fans can expect comprehensive coverage as games will be streamed live on Cesafi’s official Facebook page, as well as on the Smart Live Stream App and the Smart Sports and Puso Pilipinas pages.