XSPB SPORTS

M.V.P.'s and Unsung Heroes
Abbie Sandico, parent

Posted Wednesday, 20-Sep-2006 3:21 PM

“Behind every winning basket, there is that important pass,

when some unselfish player passed the ball to the point maker.

Without that pass, there would be no score and no heroes.”

     Xavier School won the championship in both the Aspirants and Juniors divisions of the 30th Metro Manila Tiong Lian Basketball League, considered the most prestigious basketball tournament in the Chinese community. This was only the third time in Tiong Lian’s long history that one school took home both the Aspirants’ and Juniors’ crowns in the same season.  Our champion teams for SY2005-2006 were composed of the following:

ASPIRANTS – 14 years old & under

JUNIORS - 18 years old & under

     In the Juniors Division, our Xavier team brought home the trophy after a 2-year drought. Our team mustered an exemplary form of team spirit which could not be paralleled by any other team. This is the 6th time Xavier has won the Juniors Division Title: 1972, 1998, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2006.

     Coach Jojo Imutan of the Aspirants Team cited the athletes’ extraordinary teamwork, discipline and dedication to their training and practices. “We had a tall lineup and a solid team so we did not lose a single game. We were undefeated all the way to the championship.” Our young Xavier heroes brought home the Aspirants’ trophy to complete a 4-feat victory: a first in Tiong Lian history. It is the 9th championship Xavier has won in the Aspirants Division: 1993 to 1997, 1999 to 2000, and 2003 to 2006.

     Coach Imutan thanks the teams’ manager, Mr. Wong Chu King. He likewise cites the parents and the alumni: “the unsung heroes behind our teams are our alumni and parents whose all-out campaign could be felt from the smallest details like the uniforms and towels, to the game tickets, and blow out for the players after winning their games. But most importantly, the presence of the parents and our alumni in each and every game was very palpable and went a long way in boosting our teams’ morale. Of course, there was also the unspoken but very solid school support and many Xavier students who cheered the teams to victory.”

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