Young basketball talents from Colombia visit PBA, set to watch games
Eleven young basketball players from Colombia visited the Philippine Basketball Association on Friday as part of the sports diplomacy program by the Colombian foreign ministry.
The program aims to inspire and encourage these athletes and keep them away from recruitment by criminal elements.
Mariana Ocampo, a staff of the Colombian foreign ministry and head of delegation, said they selected the PBA as to pat of their tour because of its popularity next to the NBA.
During the brief encounter PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa discussed the popularity of the league as well as the stages a basketball player has to go through to get to the PBA.
The athletes aged 11-17 years old were accompanied by three coaches – Julian Hooker Smith, Efrain Castro and Dave Gordon. The delegation is scheduled to watch to the PBA games on March 9.
Aside from the PBA visit, the group will also indulge in joint training and friendly matches with the local teams, interact with professional basketball players and visit other sports centers.
Besides sports, the Colombian foreign ministry in coordination with the Colombian local government is also recruiting talents for cultural and musical activities.
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