Taguig battles Pasay, seeks Hoopla semis

MANILA—Taguig eyes a seat in the Inter-Zonal phase as it takes on Pasay in the 2nd Coca-Cola Hoopla National Capital Region Championship today at the Duenas Gym in Taguig.

Game time is at 6 p.m. Quezon City (East), Caloocan (North), Antipolo (West) and Mandaluyong (Central) have clinched berths in the tworound semifinals.

The community-based league is eyeing a bigger tournament next year.

“We’re hoping to go nationwide,” league commissioner and former national coach Joe Lipa said in yesterday’s PSA Forum at Shakey’s UNAvenue.

The grassroots program already found a success story in Kevin Racal of Muntinlupa, the inaugural edition’s Most Valuable Player who is expected to see action with the Letran Knights in the NCAA.

“I would say that Coke Hoopla has contributed a lot to the development of players and the development of basketball in the country,” Lipa added during the weekly session backed by Smart, Pagcor, Outlast Battery and Shakey’s.