Passion For The Game

As we have all experienced, any team sport helps bridge the gap between and among its participants. Friendships among players, coaches and cheerers alike are forged in due time.

One basketball fan has written somewhere that friendship and basketball go together nicely and there is no other game on the face of the earth that brings people together like basketball.

Through the years, our very own IBP basketball has grown from just one team of around 12 players to the present four color teams namely: blue, red, white and green with a total of 60 players, more or less. Players religiously practice Tuesdays and Thursdays at the YMCA Gym honing their basketball talents and skills and forging friendship bonds among themselves.

Fuelling the Ilonggo lawyers’ love for basketball are leagues or conferences sponsored by past and present IBP administrations such as the Pedronio Cup which is usually held in the months of July-August participated by two teams of lawyers, one team for each law school in Iloilo City and one team composed of Hall of Justice’ employees. We also have the annual Inter-Color Sportsfest every October-November wherein lawyers with basketball skills (and even those who do not have any) join to form four color teams and play against each others’ guts.

In addition, the current administration headed by IBP President Marven Daquilanea has sponsored the First President’s Cup from May 21 to June 20, 2009 which was an inter-school competition participated by four teams, namely: Central Philippine University, University of Iloilo, University of San Agustin and Other Law Schools.
The 3rd runner up award went to Other Law Schools while University of Iloilo was 2nd runner up. The Championship game was held at Monte Rosa, Mandurriao, Iloilo City between University of San Agustin and Central Philippine University. In the end, the Championship trophy was bagged by University of San Agustin with Central Philippine University as 1st runner up. The event ended with loads of food, drinks and a lot of singing and dancing.

Not to be forgotten are friendship games in or out of Iloilo City. Aside from regular basketball leagues, invitations to play against other select teams are always welcome by our team as long as schedule permits it. Our team has been regularly invited to play in the Zaldivar Cup of San Jose, Antique and against government employees of Badiangan and Passi City.

Adding to IBP’s list was last June 28, 2009’s invitation by Atty. F. Evari Tupas to join in the celebration of Barotac Viejo’s Patronal town fiesta by playing against Tupas Hawks composed of Mayor Raul “boboy” Tupas, Niel “beng” Tupas III, Nielo Tupas and fourteen other players.

Unfortunately, due to conflicting schedules, only seven players for IBP-Iloilo, namely: Dennis Ventilacion, Noel Palomado, Roledo dela Cruz, Clarence Zerrudo, Aemos Jonathan Galuego, Christopher Dequilla and Christian Arfel Cuadras, went to face Barotac Viejo’s Tupas Hawks.

During the 1st half of the game, Tupas Hawks displayed dominance in the board yet our team showed off courage, skills and persistence. The 1st half score was tied at 54. IBP-Iloilo played their best during the 3rd quarter where they were able to lead by 9 points. Tupas Hawks rallied but were not able to break away during the 4th quarter despite the disparity in numbers against our team and when the final whistle came, the score was tied at 74. IBP-Iloilo left Barotac Viejo Gym with Tupas Hawks asking for a re-match in the future. The team’s hard work paid off when sibling lawyers, F. Evari and Miru Alfonso Tupas, hosted dinner exclusively for IBP-Iloilo.

Surely these basketball invitations are more than enough to fuel our passion for the game! By Jojie L. Balume