New NCC season fires off Sept. 19

After proving that its talents can shine on the world stage, the National Cheerleading Competition (NCC) hopes to come up with the best cheerleading squads again as a new season fires off next month.

Six regional qualifiers get going before the national finals, where the NCC looks to assemble another powerhouse cast after the Philippines—represented by top female cheerleaders from different schools—bagged a silver medal in the 2015 International Cheer Union World Cheerleading Championships in Orlando, Florida, last April.

READ: NCC head believes PH cheerleaders can reap Olympic hardware

“It’s a milestone for these girls,” said NCC head Carlos Valdes. “It’s the Olympics of cheerleading and what they achieved is no small matter.”

The NCC regional camp and qualifier kicks off in South Luzon on Sept. 19, then heads to Davao, Cebu, South Mindanao, Central Luzon and the National Capital Region.

The National Cheer and Dance Finals is set in March 2016 at Mall of Asia Arena.

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“It’s not just one competition, but a year-round cheerleading competition,” Valdes said in a press conference yesterday where the NCC extended its broadcast partnership with Solar Sports for three more years.

“It has become mainstream,” said Wilson Tieng, president of Solar Entertainment Corp. “Eventually we can become world champions and we’re looking at that. Hopefully, our vision can become a reality in two years time.”

Last season, over 5,000 athletes from 250 schools participated in the country’s premier cheerleading competition.