Junie Navarro Launches Inter-Barangay Basketball Tournament to Uncover Local Talent

An inter-barangay basketball competition designed to discover emerging local talent kicked off on Sunday, August 3, 2025, featuring an opening exhibition match between the "Blue" and "Red" teams.

The tournament, named the "Junie Navarro Valientes Inter-Barangay Tournament," was initiated by District 2 Councilor Rolando "Junie" Navarro Jr., who also owns the internationally competing Zamboanga Valientes basketball team. The event is scheduled to conclude in October, coinciding with the Feast of Our Lady of the Pillar, the patroness of Zamboanga City.

"This initiative fulfills a campaign commitment and aims to identify grassroots talents capable of bringing pride to the city through basketball," Navarro stated in an interview.

A total of 69 teams from villages, including island barangays spanning the city’s first and second congressional districts, are participating. All teams have received complimentary basketball uniforms and registration fees.

Navarro emphasized that the tournament is integral to Zamboanga City's sports tourism strategy and serves as a preventive measure to steer the youth away from illegal activities, such as drug abuse.

In the exhibition game, the Red Team, representing Mayor Khymer Olaso, narrowly defeated the Blue Team, named after former District 1 Councilor Jerome Santos and led by Junie Navarro, with a final score of 133 to 129.

Olaso, a seafarer turned public official, admitted feeling exhausted during the game but nonetheless emerged as the top scorer with 53 points and was named the best player.

"I had not played basketball for nearly 20 years and only resumed playing three days prior to the game," Olaso shared.

Navarro, who played on the Blue Team, highlighted that the exhibition showcased the camaraderie among Zamboanga City politicians despite electoral contests.

Both teams comprised a mix of current and former city councilors, supporters, village officials, local basketball enthusiasts, and former Zamboanga Valientes players, illustrating a strong community and political collaboration through sports.