In line with its commitment to empower Filipino athletes, mobile services provider Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) is renewing its support for three grassroots basketball events in the country this quarter.
Smart is livestreaming starting January the Universities and Colleges Athletic League (UCAL) on its Smart Sports Facebook Page so that fans and students can support their teams online.
On the other hand, Smart is once again sponsoring the National Basketball Training Center (NBTC) League, which features regional and national basketball tournaments among high school grassroots teams beginning this month until April. Prominent names like Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, Gilas Pilipinas center Kai Sotto, Kamaka Hepa, Kihei Clark, Jeron Artest, Kai Ballungay, Jared Bahay and Kieffer Alas made their mark in previous runs of the competition.
Smart is also supporting the fast-growing women’s basketball community by backing for the third time the Manila Hustle 3×3 in February.
“This is in line with our commitment and belief that sports inspire nation-building, and by supporting tournaments that give young athletes the opportunity to showcase their skills and elevate the experience of basketball fans, we can spur positive development in the sport that is well-loved by Filipinos,” said Jude Turcuato, FVP and Head of Sports at PLDT and Smart.
Sports fans can catch their favorite tournaments and highlights on the Smart Sports and Puso Pilipinas Facebook and YouTube pages for free.
Smart’s initiatives to offer relevant mobile data services and platforms to Filipinos are aligned with the PLDT Group’s endeavors to narrow the digital divide and provide connectivity to all, supporting the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG) particularly on SDG No. 9 – Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure.
