BACOLOD -- JM Calma, among the PBA's fast emerging stars, was a confident, steady performer in winning the 2024 PBA All-Star Big Men Obstacle Course Challenge at the University of St. La Salle Gym here Saturday.
The NorthPort sophomore forward, the 2021 No. 6 draft selection from San Sebastian College, went flawless in negotiating the course in the final round and, thus, became the third winner of this skills challenge presented by Arena Plus after Beau Belga in 2018 and 2019 and Dave Marcelo in 2022.
Calma was the fastest in the event where participants went through a challenge of dribbling through a slalom course, passing and shooting. He clocked 26 seconds in the finale to bag the crown and the P30,000 that went with it.
Rain or Shine's Santi Santillan and Magnolia's James Laput made the championship round but setted for runner-up honors with clockings of 29 and 39 seconds, respectively.
Calma topped Santillan and Laput in the finale after beating San Miguel's Moala Tautua and Ginebra's Ralph Cup in the matchup elims.
Cu went down in the second round after dethroning champ Marcelo in the first round.
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Laput made the finale with wins over Blackwater's Clifford Jopia and Terrafirma's Isaac Go.
Santillan, meanwhile, advanced in the medal play in defeating Meralco's Raymond Almazan and Converge's Justin Arana.
From matchup play in the elims, the event shifted to time trial race in the finale. (SB)
