MANILA — Western Visayas is making its presence felt in big-time basketball as nine homegrown cagers are set to test their luck in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Season 50 Rookie Draft, which has drawn a record 128 applicants. The event will take place on September 7 at the SM Mall of Asia Music Hall in Pasay City.
Five of the nine hopefuls hail from Bacolod City, two from Iloilo, and one each from San Carlos City in Negros Occidental and Roxas City, Capiz.
Bacolod is represented by Aldave Canoy, Jaycee Adjei, Miles Cañal, Jason Celis, and Alfred Sedillo. Canoy, a former University of Santo Tomas Growling Tiger and Colegio de Sta. Ana de Victorias standout, is currently playing for the Bacolod Tubo Slashers in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL). Celis previously suited up for the Jose Rizal University Heavy Bombers, while Sedillo once donned the San Beda Red Lions jersey and is now with the Manila Batang Quiapo squad.
Adjei, a former STI-West Negros University Mustang, and Cañal, a product of University of St. La Salle in Bacolod, are also with the Tubo Slashers. Joining them is San Carlos City-native Kenneth Malazarte, who played for Colegio de San Agustin before landing with Bacolod in the MPBL.
From Iloilo, Franz Diaz and John Bryan Sajonia are set to make their mark. Diaz starred for the Centro Escolar University Scorpions, steering them to multiple titles, while Sajonia, once with the FEU Tamaraws, has transferred to San Beda and will play his final NCAA season with the Red Lions.
Capping the Western Visayas bets is Christian Manaytay from Roxas City, a former UST Growling Tiger now playing for the Nueva Ecija Rice Vanguards in the MPBL.
With this strong representation from Region 6, Western Visayas basketball pride is once again set to shine under the national spotlight as the country’s premier league welcomes its newest batch of aspirants./PN
