New Filipino Private School lift basketball, volleyball titles

Mariecar Jara-Puyod, Senior Reporter

DUBAI: The basketball and the volleyball contingents of the Sharjah-based New Filipino Private School (NFPS) recently went home with the championship trophies including the special awards of Most Valuable Player (MVP) at the “Congen’s (Consul General’s) Cup Season 3 Inter-School Basketball & Volleyball Tournament 2019” of the Philippine Consulate General in Dubai.

The two-weekend tournament held at the Dubai Club for People of Determination in Al Qusais saw NFPS overpowering Far Eastern Private School-Al Shahba Campus (FEPS-Al Shahba) in the concluding basketball games on March 22, Friday.

The NFPS girls’ volleyball team crushed their Far Eastern Private School-Al Azra Campus (FEPS-Al Azra) counterparts.

Al Alfiyah Filipino Private School (AFPS), also in Sharjah likewise with the two FEPS, ranked second runners-up in both contests—after FEPS-Al Shahba in basketball—and after FEPS-Al Azra in volleyball.

FEPS-Al Shahba settled for the third runners-up in volleyball. According to the volunteers who oversaw the games over two weekends, the “Mythical 5” for basketball are Luke Villanueva (AFPS), Jan Aelthone Beseral (FEPS-Al Shahba), Rafael Paulo Lopez (FEPS-Al Shahba), Justin Olalo Ethan (NFPS), and Bien Basti Pailan (NFPS).  The “Mythical 6” for volleyball are Pia Nicole Habal (FEPS-Al Azra), Peach Revilla (FEPS-Al Azra), Jess Marvie Mallorca (FEPS-Al Azra), Janina Alday (NFPS), Madeline Bernardo (NFPS), and Phoebe Alcordo (NFPS).

The four MVPs from NFPS were Brandon James Chan (Finals MVP-Basketball), Jade Nicole Monceda (Season MVP-Basketball), Alliya Martos (Finals MVP-Volleyball), and Vivien Francisco (Season MVP-Volleyball).

Grade 9 student Monceda who seriously considers becoming a professional basketball player some day said: “This is definitely an honour. However, it is not only me who exerted all efforts but my teammates as well. Team work is the name of the game.”

Grade 10 student and team captain-future varsity player Chan said: “It is an honour to be the MVP of the team. But it is just a bonus for me because everyone played their role and we achieved our goal as a team. I was designated team captain. But I would not take this credit alone. I would not be able to do this without the support and trust of my teammates, our coaches, and our Alma Mater.”

Grade 10 student Francisco described the championship trophy as the school’s “well-deserved big comeback.”