THE 35th Milo BEST Passerelle and SBP tournaments, the age group meets of the MILO BEST clinics pioneered by the late national basketball coach Nic Jorge and spouse Marilyn, returns with a vengeance with an 11-leg series kicking off on Oct. 19 at the Colegio de La Purisima Concepcion gym in Roxas City, Capiz.
“It is an honor to bring back the cornerstone of youth basketball back in the country and the legacy of my father Nic Jorge and my mother Marilyn,” said Milo BEST executive daughter Monica Jorge yesterday during the press launch of the event at the Alpha City Club in Makati.
“The Passerelle–meaning gangway or bridge in French–and SBP (Small Basketeers Philippines) were the brainchild of coach Nic, who saw the need for competitions for the 9 to 11 and 12 to 15-year-old age groups in basketball,” she said.
“These tournaments became a platform for young talents to shine at a critical age,” the Milo BEST–for Basketball Efficiency Scientific Training Center–official said.
Starting in 1987, both age group tournaments merged as the showcase for the products of the Milo BEST clinics, among them former Ateneo varsity mainstays Larry Fonacier and Wesley Gonzales plus siblings Kieffer and Thirdy Ravena.
