LG Electronics Brings Changwon Sakers to Pasig for Youth Basketball Clinic

KBL champion Carl Tamayo shares lessons from his journey abroad as Korean basketball team gives young players a chance to learn from the pros

Young basketball players from Barangay Ugong got the opportunity to learn from professional Korean basketball players as the Changwon LG Sakers held the LG Sakers Basketball Camp at The Upper Deck Sports Center in Pasig City on September 16.

Organized by the Sangguniang Kabataan ng Ugong in partnership with LG Electronics Philippines and the Changwon LG Sakers, the basketball camp welcomed young Barangay Ugong residents aged 10 to 16 for an afternoon of basketball drills and instruction led by members and staff of the Korean Basketball League (KBL) team.

The camp was designed to promote sports development and active lifestyles while teaching participants basketball fundamentals, discipline, and camaraderie. Up to 44 young players were given the opportunity to join the activity.

For Filipino basketball star Carl Tamayo, now entering his third year with the Changwon LG Sakers, seeing young players learn from his Korean teammates brought him back to his own beginnings in the sport.

“I’m very happy to see my team from Korea come here and have this event for the kids,” Tamayo said. “I started like these kids also, dreaming big. I can see myself in these kids. They’re so happy to be able to play in a basketball camp like this, especially seeing Korean professional basketball players.”

Tamayo shared that opportunities like the camp can give young Filipino players a glimpse of where basketball could potentially take them.

Growing up, Tamayo said his family did not have the means to provide him with many of the same opportunities. That made seeing Filipino children train alongside professional players particularly meaningful for him.

“My family was not really well-off, and I really worked hard to help my family have a better life,” Tamayo said.

His own journey eventually took him beyond Philippine basketball. Tamayo said the LG Sakers had already expressed interest in him while he was playing college basketball at the University of the Philippines. He first pursued an opportunity in Japan before eventually joining Changwon LG in Korea.

The move required adjustments that went far beyond basketball.

“It’s really difficult. You play abroad, no one knows you there, and you have to work hard for people to recognize you, especially because you’re representing the country,” Tamayo said. “There are a lot of adjustments—the food, the culture—but I’m lucky my team is really welcoming.”

He added that adapting to Korean culture also taught him to be mindful of the responsibility that comes with being a Filipino athlete overseas.

“I’m trying to really adapt to their culture and be a good example because I’m representing the Philippines,” he said.

Tamayo’s time with the Sakers has already included one of the biggest achievements in the team’s history. In the 2024-2025 season, Changwon LG captured its first KBL championship after a 28-year wait.

Tamayo recalled how the team overcame a difficult stretch during the season before eventually reaching the top.

“Nobody really expected that we were going to win a championship,” he said. “We just kept playing and working hard. We ended up going from the bottom to second in the league, went to the championship, and then we won our first championship.”

The experience also strengthened Tamayo’s connection with the Sakers. He recently extended his stay with Changwon LG and is preparing for another season with the club.

Tamayo also shared that his connection with LG extends beyond basketball. Long before joining the LG Sakers, he was already familiar with the brand through the appliances his family used at home. “Since I was younger, we were already using LG, like the washing machine,” he said. His familiarity with the brand grew further in Korea, where he also had the opportunity to experience LG’s TVs. For Tamayo, that long-standing familiarity has made his journey with the LG Sakers feel even closer to home.

The Sakers are currently in the Philippines for a training camp, which Tamayo said also includes games against Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) teams. Amid their preparations, the Pasig activity gave the players an opportunity to spend time with young Filipino basketball fans away from competition.

For Tamayo, the message he hopes the participants carry with them extends beyond the skills they learned on the court: set bigger goals, continue working toward them, and recognize that Filipino players can find opportunities beyond the country’s borders.

For the young players in Barangay Ugong, the afternoon offered an opportunity Tamayo himself would have valued growing up—the chance to share a court with professional players and see firsthand just how far the game can take them.