Soldiers of the Lord complete four-game sweep vs. locals

THE Soldiers of the Lord basketball squad completed a four-game sweep against the Cebuano teams when they scored another lopsided win last Sunday at the jampacked Mandaue City Sports and Cultural Complex.

The team, which was made up of basketball pros and NBA-caliber players, wowed the Mandauehanons who found their local basketball heroes outmatched by the taller and more athletic Americans, whose mission is to teach basketball, entertain, preach and give medical and dental missions to the different towns and cities in Cebu Province.

While the Mandauehanons enjoyed the game in the comfort of their sports complex, the people of Asturias had to brave the rain and travel for at least 10 kilometers just to watch the game between the Soldiers of the Lord against the Cebu Selection in Balamban.

Game organizer and Asturias Vice Mayor Joel Dumdum had to use a fleet of trucks used for his softdrink distribution business to ferry the people of Asturias to Balamban when it rained heavily during the game. The organizers of an inter-barangay tournament did not budge when Dumdum requested them to move their tournament for a day to make way for the Soldiers of the Lord against the Cebu Selection led by some PBA players to play on the covered court.

“It was really unfortunate that I had to use seven trucks from my own softdrink distribution business to ferry the people to Balamban and back home because the organizers of the municipal government-backed Inter-barangay tournament would not allow us to use the municipal gym,” Dumdum told Sun.Star Cebu.

According to Asturias Mayor Allan Adlawan, the organizer of the other tournament, Dumdum's group did not coordinate with him and the people he trusted to run the tournament.

In Mandaue City, Vice Mayor Glenn Bercede did not have to face the problems Dumdum had to deal with.

“Lingaw gyud ang mga tawo. Bisan og layo-layo ang biya, wala gyud biyai sa mga tawo kay makalingaw gyud ilang duwa,” Mandaue City vice mayor Glenn Bercede told Sun.Star Cebu.

Bercede was responsible for forming the Mandaue City Selection that includes ABL MVP Jeric Cañada, Blackwater Elite reserve player Luigi Bercede, Cebuano standouts Jett Latonio, Jerwin Espina, Bobby Hatague, Mikee Cabahug, Jarey Ceniza and three Cameroonian reinforcements Steve Cedric Akomo, Justine Aboude and Barry Amin.

Aside from Asturias and Mandaue, Talisay City also witnessed the explosive and entertaining games of the “Soldiers” last Thursday evening as well as the people of Don Andres Soriano (DAS) (formerly Lutopan) in Toledo City. Their next stop is in Palawan.