Marikina, Manila clash in MBT

Marikina starts its bid for back-toback titles against Manila while Makati will have vengeance in its eyes when it battles 16-and-under runner-up Parañaque at the start Metropolitan Basketball Tournament (MBT) seniors division today at the Makati Coliseum.

The Shoelanders and the All-Stars tangle in the 12:30 p.m. second game while the Green Berets and the Skyscrapers mix it up in the 11 a.m. opener following the short 9 a.m. opening ceremony where MMDA chairman Danilo Lim and previous chairman Tim Orbos, under whose term the Metro Manila Sports Fest began, and PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa have been invited.

Quezon City and San Juan play against each other in the 2 p.m. third game.

“Dahil nagchampion kami sa 16and-under, parang may target na na nasa mga likod namin. But we’ll be ready,” said Marikina head coach Elvis Tolentino whose team will be up against a Manila team which after finishing third in the 16-and-under tourney, will be handled this time around by PBA legend Philip Cezar.

Makati hopes to have learned from its lessons in the 16-and-under tournament where it swept its first seven games only to fall by the wayside, losing to Marikina in the semis and Manila in the battle for third place, for a disappointing finish at No. 4.

“Naging overconfident kami last tournament. Siguro dahil na din sa seven straight wins namin tapos nagkaroon pa noon ng barangay games. Akala namin kakayanin namin pareho. Hopefully this time we can concentrate more on this seniors division para makabawi,” said Makati head coach Benedict Gawat.