UNPREDICTABLE LEAGUE AWAITS

Because of the format where teams are allowed to get reinforcements, organizers feel the Sinulog Cup will be unpredictable and competitive

The start of the revival of Cebu City commercial basketball leagues kicks off next week, with the weeklong Sinulog Cup 2018 – Basketball Invitational.

“All systems go for the revival of the commercial leagues in Cebu,” Cebu City Councilor and Chairman of the Committee of Youth and Sports Jerry Guardo said in yesterday’s press conference at the Cebu City Sports Center (CCSC).

The Sinulog Cup runs from Jan. 8 to 14 and features four local teams and a visiting squad from Manila.

“This will provide the fans with a more exciting tournament. It will be more competitive because teams are allowed reinforcements, which allows teams to compete with Manila teams. It will be unpredictable on who will dominate the tournament,” said Guardo.

The Manila team that’s competing in the weeklong tournament is Marinerong Pinoy.

Marinerong Pinoy is a PBA D-League squad that has a competitive roster of players from the collegiate level. Some of the key players in the team are Fil-Am Kyle Toth, who was picked No. 1 in the recent PBA D-League draft, University of the East (UE) star Alvin Pasaol, and Ateneo de Manila University’s Vince Tolentino and De La Salle University’s Abu Tratter, who are both fresh from playing in the UAAP Finals.

The Cebu squads are University of the Visayas (UV)/SG ARQ Builders, University of Cebu (UC)/M. Lhuillier, University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-R) Jaguars/May Abuhan and Cebu Landmasters.

UV/SG ARQ features mostly a core of its 2017 Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) collegiate division championship team with the likes of Monic Silva and Rey Suerte.

UC/ML is also fielding most of its players from the Cesafi first runner-up squad, led by its top scorers of Frederick Elombi, Garciano Puerto, John Jabello and Justine Dacalos.

USJ-R/May Abuhan is also comprised of most of its Cesafi players like reigning Cesafi MVP Jaybie Mantilla and RJ Dinolan, and reinforced with new import, 6’10” Cameroonian center Kingsley

This will provide the fans with a more exciting tournament. It will be more competitive because teams are allowed reinforcements, which allows teams to compete with Manila teams. It will be unpredictable. JERRY GUARDO Councilor

Ewenike and former PBA All-Star Roger Yap.

Cebu Landmasters, on the other hand, is composed of a mix of veterans and young players with the likes of Mark Ababon, John Abad, Barkley Ebona, Zachy Huang, Jojo Tangkay, Fedinand Lusdoc, Foilan Mangubat, John Saycon, Victor Rabat, Charles Pepito, Ian Ortega, William Mcaloney and Rene Pacquiao.

UC/ML faces Cebu Landmasters in the first game at 4 PM, while Marinerong Pinoy takes on UV/SG-ARQ in the second match at 6 PM in the opening day of the tournament on Monday at the Cebu Coliseum.

Tickets are sold cheap at just P30 for lower box seats, P20 for the upper box section and P10 for general admission.