source: mb.com.ph
University of Cebu stalwart June Mar Fajardo led the individual and team award recipients of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) when the league held its “A Toast” affair Friday at the ABS-CBN compound.
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo was named National Collegiate Player of the Year, an honor won last year by top 2010 PBA draft pick Noy Baclao. The league’s chairman, Reynaldo Gamboa and tournament director, Joe Lipa, were present to announce and hand out the trophies, plaques, and other prizes to the winners.
University of Cebu stalwart June Mar Fajardo led the individual and team award recipients of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) when the league held its “A Toast” affair Friday at the ABS-CBN compound.
The 6-foot-10 Fajardo was named National Collegiate Player of the Year, an honor won last year by top 2010 PBA draft pick Noy Baclao. The league’s chairman, Reynaldo Gamboa and tournament director, Joe Lipa, were present to announce and hand out the trophies, plaques, and other prizes to the winners.
The top four teams of the PCCL Sweet 16, for their part, received the following cash prizes: Ateneo de Manila University – P500,000 for the school and P400,000 for team members, Adamson University – P200,000 each for the school and the team members, De La Salle University – P100,000 each, and University of Cebu – P50,000 each.
Aside from the cash prize, the Falcons also won “Great Leap Forward Award” for coming up just a game short of winning the 2010 title – after the team failed to even reach the Sweet 16 the last two years. The Archers, on the other hand, won the “Comeback Award” for making the Sweet 16 this season after missing out last time.
Other team awards were given to Lyceum of the Philippines University: “Grinder Award,” National University “Fortitude Award,” and University of Iloilo: “Breakthrough Performance Award.” The “Motivator of the Year Award” was awarded to Atty. Baldomero Estenzo for his motivation of the Webmasters.
Meanwhile, the PCCL’s individual awardees, sponsored by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan, were the Eagles’ Nico Salva (Most Valuable Player), who is joined in the Mythical team by teammate Kirk Long, the Falcons’ Lester Alvarez and Alex Nuyles, and Fajardo. Ateneo mentor Norman Black was named Best Coach, while Meynard Bellecer was awarded as Best Referee.
Since its inception in 2003, the Champions League has drawn the participation of the country’s top collegiate teams and provided the impetus for teams outside Metro Manila to aim for higher goals.
“A key factor in upgrading the skills and confidence levels of teams and players is to change their mindset from a parochial view of achievement to a higher sense of pride and accomplishment,” said PCCL chairman Rey Gamboa in his report to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).
“With the PCCL games, parochial boundaries are removed and opportunities are made available for players to perform their full potential through a broader competitive environment,” Gamboa said.
Although teams from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) continue to dominate the Final Four, Cebu teams like University of Visayas and University of Cebu have managed to perform creditably.
Gamboa said the PCCL assisted in the formation of “mother leagues” in cities and provinces, raising the number from 20 to 30 leagues.
