Bedimpled & Stunning

The One Thing that made my day - at the Jr. NBA [yesterday] - was bumping into Nesza  Salvador and Nicolette Ambulo.  Both are from the 3-Time UAAP Cheerdance Champion UP Pep Squad  [Nesza won't be suiting up this coming Season 76 of the  UAAP - she  just finished her last year -Season 75 - at least, Nicolette will still be around for a few more years -Great !!]  FYI, Both girls have won the UAAP Samsung Stunner of the Year Awards.

I actually noticed Nesza way back July, 2010 - and have since, released this photo [below]  in my first blog ->brosigonzales.blogspot.com,  my flickr site -> flickr.com/brosigonzales  and my current blog ->brosigonzalesnow.blogspot.com

 Nesza - July, 2010

UP wins the UAAP Cheerdance Championship [Oct., 2010] and Come Oct., 2011 - The UP Pep Squad wins the UAAP Cheerdance Crown again - I do recall releasing this image of the petite cheerdancer whooping it up at the Araneta.  [photo below]

 Nesza Oct., 2011

Oct., 2012 - The UP Pep Squad accomplishes a 3-Peat !!! - after a stunning performance ! - Dude - when they start strutting their stuff - Everybody is just just seduced and awed !! - For me,  their performance - Ang Lakas ng Dating Talaga !!  Ibang Klase !! - it is so soulful and ballsy !!  I am riveted as I shoot the UP Pep - they are just so F__awesome !!

From that 2012 Win, I did feature tight close-ups of Nesza, Nicolette and some of the other guys and gals of the Pep Squad in my blog -  [never did post any of the actual cheerdancing images at all !!]  - all the images were celebratory [smiling and crying]  -- and somehow, that post did register a Whole Lotta Hits   [in my Top Ten all time !!]

 Nesza - Sept., 2012

The three monochrome images below  were taken yesterday, April 28, after their brief performance at the Jr. NBA Event at the Mall of Asia. [ I didn't have my wide-angle lens, and there just wasn't enough space to maneuver so I just took these two "portions" of the small UP Pep Squad contingent ]

Numero Uno !

Nicolette is the one with the index finger UP

Championship Poise

Nesza is on the bottom right

The Men of the UP Pep Squad

I did have my "lengthiest" conversation [actually PR lang - bigay ng calling card & some small talk] with Nesza, Nicolette and some Up Pep Squad guys in the Mall of Asia on that fine September afternoon last Sept., 2012 [just before they won their Three-Peat]  - Even took a group shot, which I released in a blog post. [darn ! - can't seem to find that JPEG file at the moment]

Anyway, seeing them again at the MoA was indeed a pleasant surprise - I actually didn't recognize Nicole at first [of course, everyone grew their hair na] but - I still managed to "guess" her last name - I say,  Nicole was just as charming as any champion can ever be. Jesus ! - I just have shoot great portraits of this girl sooner than later !! 

Nicolette - Sept., 2012

By the way, the UP Pep Squad is set to participate in a Cheerdance Competition, somewhere in Asia, soon. Fact is, they are scheduled to fly on May the 16th !!

[And yes, I'll visit the UP pep Squad during one of their training sessions at the UP Gym soon - Of course, to take more images - for a more lengthy. more interesting feature on this Champion Team.]

brosi gonzales

Jr. NBA

2013

Mall of Asia

April 28, Sunday

Exactly 51 weeks ago last year, May 5 [to be exact] the Jr.NBA selected 10 of the best 10-14 year old hoopsters from the archipelago - after a 3-day boot camp.   This year very similarly, the Jr. NBA Training Camp also commenced at the UP Gym [April 26, Friday] and culminated at the Mall of Asia [April 28, Sunday].

A total of 40 players, aged 10-14, were selected from Dagupan, Davao, Lucena, Manila, and the Alaska Power camp [earlier this month] for this 3-day camp.  The number was narrowed down to the Top Ten yesterday, Sunday, at the Mall of Asia - after a  series of matches.  These 10 promising hoopsters will then be trained by the Jr. NBA to compete against Jr. NBA stars from other Asian countries very soon.

Here is the list of the Top Ten

Mahloney Tarranza                Davao

Anthony Sistoza                    General Santos City

Pawandeep Singh                  PamPanga

Marvin Sario                         Manila

Vince Jansel Ferrer                Manila

Samuel Abuhijleh                  Manila

Gian Robert Mamuyac           Manila

Ricci paolo Rivero                 Manila

Christian Tyler Tio                 Manila

Miguel Alejandro Fortuna       Manila

Here are a few action shots featuring some of the the Top Twenty,

which by 1-2 pm, had already been selected from the original Top 40.

Sunday morning had some members of the media engage in some basketball - simply for the love of the game - [photo below]  before an exhibition match among between Team Jolas vs Team Muggsy [composed of High School and College varsity players]

The more important matches - where original select 40 [aged 10-14] youngsters participated in - came later - after lunch [whern the Top 40 had already been cut down in half to 20.  Then, each and every one of the 20 was given ample minutes playing time during anoter 32-minute match in order for the coaches to be able to decide which 10 players would be the best among the original 40.

 L-R

Marcia Cruz / Rick Olivares / Roy Afable / Aljon Mariano /
 Muggsy Bogues / Yu Murayama / Stu Balmaceda / Ton Gatmaitan / Emmanuel Mbe / AJ Bolando

 Muggsy gives away "Jr. NBA"  ballers to the crowd

The latter part of the afternoon sees the

 3-Time UAAP Cheerdance Champion UP Pep Squad

show the crowd WHY they are the 3-Time Champs.

 Get to meet the whole Fortuna Family

 [I'd known Jeric for the past 2 years or so]

L-R

 Sam / Jeric / Miguel [he makes it to the Top Ten!!] /

 Mom Maricon / Dad Eli /Luigi

Couldn't get a good angle on Sam in the group shot,

 so opted for close-up of the 4 year old with her Kuya Jeric.

BTW, Next year - the Jr. NBA Camp  2014 will include girls  !!

brosi gonzales

2013 Fil-Oil Flying V Basketball Tournament

April 22, Monday

Arena, San Juan

San Sebastian-84    vs    Southwestern-73

Jaymark Perez [#7] of San Sebastian uses his quickness against SWU Big,

Fabrice Siewe [#18], to score two from under.  Although SWU outrebounds San Sebastian 54 to 37, the Golden Stags are awarded 34 charities while SWU is given only 13 free throws.

Ateneo-88   vs   Letran-81

 One of the few miscues of Kiefer Ravena during the match - 

a charging foul on a Knight

 Crowd Drawer - On and off the court

 Unstoppable !

Phenomenal !!!

Ravena explodes for 33 Big Ones [1 trey, 9  2-pointers + 12 charities]

Dependable

Newcomer Chris Newsome adds 13 some to the Ateneo cause

Reliable

Von Pessumal has been consistent in his last two matches -

 Versus Letran he manages 9 markers

Mark Cruz [#9] - [younger brother of former UP Maroon Marvin Cruz]
 beats Frank Golla to the ball.

Nico Elorde [#4] [driving] pitches in 7 - 

after Frank Golla's 8 and GBoy Babilonia's 8 markers

Rey Nambatac [19 pts],  Mark Cruz [18 pts],  Jonathan Belorio [12 pts], and Raymond Almazan [11 pts]  lead the Letran Knights but their 

38% field goal clip and 29 boards is below the Eagles' 50% clip and 41 rebounds.

brosi gonzales

 April 21,  Sunday

Tribeca, Sucat

Invitational Football Festival 

 New Kids On the Block

[around 45 randomly arranged action images]

Actually covered several Fil-Oil Basketball matches last Friday and Saturday - but on a whim, decided to post these Sunday Shots first instead [I will insert the basketball feats later and still be chronological, at that] for the simple reason that it's been a long, while since I've crafted decent images from a Football Festival - amidst all the clutter that comes with such an event.

And this time, it just so happened, I was very much challenged since I didn't use my favored "soccer weapon", my 100-400mm telephoto lens [still being serviced at Canon]

Truth be told - It is actually more difficult to get "clean" images in such a setting, as I said, because of the unavoidable clutter, as compared to the big league matches, in the big stadiums in Manila and other Asian capitals !!

'Twas somewhat refreshing for me too, to be witness again to the "simple beginnings"/"seeds" of potential future talent that I'll eventually get to meet someday soon - referring to kids as young as 4, years, just starting to discover their love for the game.

I literally saw my nephew, now a UAAP booter for the DLS Green Archers, evolve into the aspiring athlete he is - I was at his very, very first football class -[Southridge School -Summer of 2000] taking still photos and gradually, through his grade school and high school years bared witness to his soccer odyssey.

The kids I saw last Sunday were, themselves, at the beginning of their own journeys into possible  future School Varsity / RIFA / UAAP - careers.  Nothing different from what my nephew went through.

This Festival was organized by Cathy Nazareno Rivilla [a pioneer of a business woman - an extremely attractive single mother to three wonderful daughters - and a good friend of mine too] and Jojo Durian - principals of the Younghusband Football Academy.

The Invitational had several Age Groups 

 --> Under-6, Under-8, Under-10 and Under-12.

 Actual Goals

[picture above & next three images below]

Faces of Future Football Standouts ?

I could not stay and finish the Event due to a previous commitment [Cathy informed me about the Invitational the night previous only] but managed to catch the first of many Championship Matches - then split for the Emperador Stadium at BGC - to shoot HDVideos for a Cameroonian booter.

The Team above is the LMS [Loyola Meralco Sparks] U-12 Team, posing after beating the Don Bosco, Canlubang for the Championship.

As far as I'm concerned, as long as everyone tries his best, makes new friends with other teams, and becomes more well-rounded athletes and individuals - At the end of the day - Everyone is a Winner

brosi gonzales

PS

Interested parties may E-mail me at artbro333@yahoo.com or  contact me at 929-75-888-10  for HRes action images from the Festival