Dayrit suits up for champion team in SoCal

Bogs Dayrit, second left, poses with the rest of his teammates at San Diego Balllers after the team won the 50-and-over title of the recent 2021 Southern California Basketball Tournament. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Not even two weeks after relocating to California, Bogs Dayrit immediately made a name for himself in a local tournament after suiting up for the champion team in the 2021 Southern California Basketball Tournament’s 50-and-over division.

The 5’11” veteran of many commercial leagues on Saipan said his team, San Diego Ballers, was blessed with a lot of talented and tall players and he was just happy to contribute on the way to the age group title that came with it not only a championship ring but also a WWE-style championship belt.

Bogs Dayrit shows off his WWW-style championship belt and ring after his team, San Diego Balllers, won the 50-and-over title of the recent 2021 Southern California Basketball Tournament. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

In the finals, Dayrit played mostly small forward and chipped in 10 points against the eventual runner-up team that had ex-Philippine professional player Romy Dela Rosa in its lineup. The 6’2” Dela Rosa was drafted No. 5 overall in the 1989 Philippine Basketball Association draft and was a four-time champion with Formula Shell.

Before the finals against Dela Rosa and company, Dayrit’s San Diego Ballers swept their two elimination round assignments with the Gen. Trias, Cavite in the Philippines native scoring his tournament-high 12 points in the second game after totaling only 6 points in the first game.

In the semis, his team went up against two other ex-PBA pros, 6’3” former Ginebra guard Pat Codiñera and 6’2” former Pepsi swingman Django Rivera, and he fired 8 points in the win. He said Codiñera and Rivera’s team lacked a reliable point guard and that’s why despite their height advantage they lost.

Bogs Dayrit, left, with childhood friend Gerry Cadua. (CONTRIBUTED PHOTO)

Dayrit said he’s happy to still continue his love of playing basketball in the U.S. mainland. He left Saipan just last Nov. 20 and is now based in National City, California. Coincidentally, one of his teammates at San Diego Ballers is childhood friend Gerry Cadua.

Expected to start work as a cook at Sunshine Senior Living in January, he said he misses his close friends and kumpaires Boy Garcia, Bernard Montano, and Tropang Legends on Saipan. Dayrit also gave a shout out to his nephew and also to his boss at WTSCO Jerick Sablan.

Dayrit first arrived on Saipan in 1996 and worked for several companies while suiting up for numerous leagues in his spare time. He momentarily left the island in 2010 but not before winning two championships, bagging the MVP of the Mobil Invitational Basketball League, and being named two times in the same league’s mythical five. He returned to Saipan in 2016 and saw action mostly in masters leagues.

He encouraged his friends on Saipan not to be scared of relocating to the U.S. mainland like he did.

“Don’t believe what others say that it’s not good in the mainland. There’s a lot of places to go to here and National City is a really nice place. It’s up to you if you like this place or that place, but if you’re really serious in settling your family here in the U.S., National City is a nice option. For me, the U.S. mainland is a nice place to settle and there’s a lot of good work waiting for you here.”