By Adrian Stewart Co

Bacolodnon guards Jeffrey Manday and Kimlee Bayquin got their basketball dreams realized after being selected at the latter part of the virtual PBA Season 46 Rookie Draft on Sunday.

Manday’s name was called in the sixth round by the San Miguel Beermen, while Bayquin was drafted by Blackwater Bossing in the fifth round of the draft proceedings where PBA-record 65 players were selected.

Manday, a former standout of Colegio de Sta. Ana de Victorias in Bacolod City, admitted that there is still a lot of work to do before he can fulfill his dream of playing in the PBA stage.

“This is a once in a lifetime opportunity,” Manday said in an interview with Watchmen Daily Journal yesterday. “Napakarami ang nangangarap ngunit bibihira lang ang binibigyan ng ganitong pagkakataon kaya mahirap nang pakawalan pa.”

“The Beermen can expect that I will be a hardworking and dedicated player. I will also show them that I am a disciplined player,” he added. “I am motivated to fulfill my dream of playing in the PBA kasi para ito sa family ko.”

Bayquin, for his part, was thankful that Bossing head coach Nash Racela, his former mentor during his Far Eastern University Tamaraws days in the UAAP, took a chance on him.

“I am thankful to coach Nash for giving me a shot. He knows that I can be a defensive player, I am a hustle guy and also a facilitator,” said Bayquin, a former Bacolod Tay Tung High School standout.

Manday and Bayquin were just two of the four Western Visayas-based player selected in the rookie draft aside from Antiqueño Tzaldy Rangel, who was selected by NLEX Road Warriors in Gilas Pilipinas special draft, and Ilonggo Michael Javelosa, who was picked by Terrafirma Dyip./ASC, WDJ