Draft:Junior MPBL
 | Draft article not currently submitted for review.
This is a draft Articles for creation (AfC) submission. It is not currently pending review. While there are no deadlines, abandoned drafts may be deleted after six months. To edit the draft click on the "Edit" tab at the top of the window. To be accepted, a draft should:
It is strongly discouraged to write about yourself, your business or employer. If you do so, you must declare it. Where to get help
How to improve a draft
You can also browse Wikipedia:Featured articles and Wikipedia:Good articles to find examples of Wikipedia's best writing on topics similar to your proposed article. Improving your odds of a speedy review To improve your odds of a faster review, tag your draft with relevant WikiProject tags using the button below. This will let reviewers know a new draft has been submitted in their area of interest. For instance, if you wrote about a female astronomer, you would want to add the Biography, Astronomy, and Women scientists tags. Editor resources
Last edited by MarcusAbacus (talk | contribs) 4 days ago. (Update) |
| Sport | Basketball |
|---|---|
| Founded | June 15, 2023 |
| Founder | Manny Pacquiao |
| First season | 2023 (U-14, U-16, U-18) 2024 (U-21 / D-League) |
| Motto | Ang Liga ng Bawat Batang Pilipino (The League of Every Young Filipino) |
| Country | Philippines |
| Headquarters | Pasig |
| Continent | FIBA Asia (Asia) |
The Junior Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, commonly known as the Junior MPBL, is a group of youth men's basketball leagues in the Philippines. It serves as the junior counterpart to the senior Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League.
The youth leagues were founded in 2023 by boxing legend and former Senator Manny Pacquiao. It is currently divided into four age groups: under-14, under-16, under-18, and under-21, the latter of which is billed as the Junior MPBL D-League. Similar to the senior league, it is also referred to as Manny Pacquiao's Junior MPBL due to Pacquiao's role.
It is the second league to bear the Maharlika Pilipinas name, after the senior league and before the Maharlika Pilipinas Volleyball Association, which was announced at the same time as the Junior MPBL.
History
[edit]Background
[edit]Then-Senator Pacquiao founded the MPBL in 2017. Initially an amateur league, it is intended to showcase local and homegrown talents from the country while also using a home-and-away season format. By 2023, it had turned professional, ran for four seasons and began its fifth in March that year.
Establishment
[edit]On June 15, 2023, a press conference was held at the Vivere Hotel in Alabang, Muntinlupa with Pacquiao formally announcing the Junior MPBL, with a similar goal to the senior league. When it was first established, it had three age groups: under-14, under-16, and under-18, with all teams setting up squads for each. The Junior MPBL became the second league to bear the Maharlika Pilipinas name.
The opening ceremony for the inaugural Junior MPBL season was then held the following month on July 9 at the Filoil EcoOil Centre in San Juan.
Further expansion
[edit]On June 25, 2024, Pacquiao announced a fourth age group in that of the under-21 division, billed as the Junior MPBL D-League. He also announced plans to bring international teams to the junior leagues, similar to that of the Pilipinas Super League's Global Championship Challenge, which began a month prior.
Champions
[edit]Media coverage
[edit]In 2022, the senior MPBL entered a broadcast partnership with Cignal TV, ahead of its 2022 season, a deal that was carried over to the Junior MPBL.