MANILA, Philippines — THE District Warriors Philippines of Quezon City's first district started its campaign on a high note after routing the Shoot it Dragons of Thailand, 110-65, in the opening day of 2024 Cahaya Lestari Surabaya (CLS) League Under-23 Senior Division last Tuesday in Surabaya, Indonesia.
Backed by Quezon City first district Congressman Juan Carlos "Arjo" Atayde, the Warriors were led by Ryan Arceo, who scored 20 points, while Danren Nepomuceno and Christian Jake Agoncillo tallied 19 points each. Christian Ang also added 14 points for the Warriors, who now sport a 1-0 win-loss record.
Coached by Dale Lacorte and Vis Valencia, the Pinoy hoopers will be fighting for pride and glory when they compete this week against five top club teams from Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia and Australia in a single-round robin format starting.
Rounding up the Philippine side are Joeben Loria, Yojan Ang, Patrick Buena, Andrei Diaz, Jeremiah Guzman, Warren Calara, and JR Lastra, plus coordinator Carl Lorenz Eserjose.
According to Rep. Atayde, "this team is composed of Quezon City first district's top talented players, who were selected in the series of tryouts and the ongoing D1 Basketball League."
"I believe they play with a lot of pride, and I have faith that they can bring home the championship."
A well-known sports aficionado, Atayde is a member of the Youth and Sports Development Committee in the House of Representatives.
"The Philippines is a basketball-loving nation that has talented and skillful players in all of our 7,000-plus islands. This includes our district, and we are more than happy to support them in this overseas campaign," the young lawmaker said.
After winning its first game, the District Warriors Philippines was playing on Wednesday as of press time against NS Matrix Malaysia before locking horns with the BBM CLS Knights on Thursday, MBC Malaysia on Friday, and the ACBA Tigers Sydney on Saturday.
Atayde and the other delegates will arrive on Friday to support the team and to cheer them on in their quest for a championship. TMT