Manila, Philippines – The world’s number one sports drink once again paves the way for young basketball stars to make it to the big leagues. This time, Gatorade is teaming up with Slam Rising Stars Classic—the Philippines’ premium high school all-star basketball game which showcases the country’s top 24 high school basketball players.
Established in 2014, the Slam Rising Stars Classic aims to cultivate and elevate the level of play in the Philippines by providing promising athletes exclusive access to elite training sessions and giving them valuable exposure to sports industry professionals. The partnership with Gatorade will strengthen these foundations by reinforcing the basics and crucial role of proper hydration in dominating the competitive world of collegiate and professional basketball.
Slam’s roster of notable alumni includes Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena, San Beda’s Jayvee Mocon, FEU’s Wendell Comboy, and DLSU’s Andrei Caracut and Aljun Melecio. Slam’s ambassadors for this year are siblings Matt and Mike Nieto of Ateneo and the Rivero brothers of DLSU, Ricci and Prince.
“Putting the world’s number 1 sports drink together with the country’s premier showcase of basketball’s stars of tomorrow is always a perfect match,” Pepsico Philippines Marketing Manager for Hydration Tony Atayde said. “Exposing these young players to high level coaching and, more importantly, the crucial role that proper hydration will play in their basketball careers, will pave the way for them to reach new heights. We look forward to fueling their basketball journeys through the Slam Rising Stars Classic and beyond.”
This year’s batch of Slam Rising Stars will again be divided into two teams and face off in the hard court on March 26, 2017 at the Gatorade Hoops Center in Mandaluyong City, following a series of tests, training and pre-game preparations.
Slam Rising Stars Coach Tony de la Cruz added, “We’re honored to have Gatorade on our team. When you’ve got the best sports drink in the world backing you up, you know these rising stars are definitely in good hands.”
For updates on Slam Rising Stars Classic 2017, check out Gatorade’s official Facebook (facebook.com/GatoradePH) and Instagram (@gatoradeph) accounts.
