A big kid with a big heart is keen on making waves in the Batang Pinoy.
The Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts and their 6’5” big man Heinz Gabriel “Kobe” Demisana will gear up and try to make an impact on the basketball action of the Batang Pinoy National Finals 2019 set from until Sept. 1 in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan.
The 14-year-old Demisana is expected to lead his squad after getting valuable experience from his recent stint in the Jr. NBA Global Championship in Orlando, Florida.
Last June, Demisana was among those chosen as one of the best campers in the Jr. NBA Asia-Pacific Selection Camp that was held in Jakarta, Indonesia.
Demisana has gone a long way to help his team when he joined the NBA’s grassroots program in Bacolod. He was selected to be part of the National Training Camp as one of the Visayas region’s best.
Demisana joined the Jr. NBA camps on the encouragement of his coaches in Tay Tung.
“My coach told me to believe in myself. Because we will fight for the title (in the Batang Pinoy),” said Demisana to the Manila Standard following the inspiring words from Tay Tung coach Roger Montalvo before he left for Manila for the Jr. NBA camps.
To be mentored by Dexter Dy in the Batang Pinoy, Demisana will be joined by Nathan Jan Jundana, Rafael Albert Ledesma, Mike Lebron Estelloso, Christian James Juguan, and Thomas Pillado.
The Thunderbolts, with Demisana protecting the boards, won the championship in the boys’ basketball event of the Batang Pinoy 2019 Visayas Qualifier leg with a 73-70 win over Cebu province last March in Iloilo City.
Luzon qualifying winner Dasmarinas City, which claimed a 101-97 triumph over Mariveles, is expected to be among the Thunderbolts’ top challengers for the cage crown.
Around 10,000 athletes, coaches, technical and delegation officials from all over the country are expected to take part in a total of 31 sporting activities in the weeklong meet.
Among the sports that will be played are archery, arnis, athletics, badminton, baseball, basketball, boxing, chess, dancesport, futsal, karatedo, lawn tennis, pencak silat, sepak takraw, and softball.
Events in swimming, table tennis, taekwondo, indoor and beach volleyball, are also included in the calendar.