NEWLY-crowned  Cebu Sports Athletic Foundation Inc. men’s  basketball champion   University of Cebu  became  the first team to qualify for the  64th  National Students  Basketball  Championship  (NSBC)  scheduled  Feb. 27-March 3 in  Dagupan City.

This was disclosed by  Basketball Association  of  the Philippines  (BAP) secretary-general  Graham  Lim  following a  meeting  with  CESAFI  commissioner   Felix Tiukinhoy  and UC  manager Atty. Baldomero Estenzo at the Cebu Golf and Country Club  recently.

Lim, who represneted BAP presdient Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV,  finalized  the Webmasters’ participation in the week-long championship  also known  as the National Inter-Secondary and National Inter-Collegiate  Basketball Championship.

Hosted by Dagupan City,  the event  also serves as the  qualifying tournament  to the 9th Asian University Basketball Championship (AUBC)  for   Men  in Kuala  Lumpur,  Malaysia  in   June 2012.

Lim has informed the CESAFI  officials that all arrangements with the  organizers in Dagupan  City  have also been finalized.

The host is Dagupan City Vice-Mayor  Belen Fernandez, who is also the BAP regional director  for   Region1.

Assisting Mayor Fernandez are   organizing  committee  members Renato “Jack” Vidal, Noel Osting and  Seato Gonimil who is also  the  assistant  secretary-general for Luzon of  the Federation of  School Sports Association of the   Philippines (FESSAP).

A  total of  20 teams  -- 12  in the men’s  division and eight in the  high school  level -- are expected  to see action in the Dagupan  competition.

Qualifiyng tournaments are currently being held in  Davao City being organized by the Davao  Sportsmen Inc., Zamboanga City run by Western Mindanao  Private Schools Athletic Association, and  Cagayan  de Oro City organized  by PRISAA-SCUAA.

National Capital  Region  will  start  its  elimination at the  end of  the month.