Sinulog Cup kicks off today

The Cebu City Sinulog Cup 2018 - Basketball Invitational kicks off this year’s basketball calendar with two games today at the Cebu Coliseum.

PBA D-League squad Marinerong Pinoy will take on Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) champion University of the Visayas (UV)/SG-ARQ Builders in the main game tonight at 6 PM.

The week-long tournament will be opened by a 4:30 p.m. game between Cesafi runner-up University of Cebu (UC)/M. Lhuillier and Cebu Landmasters/ Bogo.

Marinerong Pinoy will field the likes of De La Salle University’s (DLSU) Abu Tratter, Ateneo de Manila University’s Vince Tolentino, former UV Green Lancer Ralf Olivares and PBA D-League No. 1 pick Kyle Toth.

UV/SG-ARQ will play mostly with the core of its championship team, led by the likes of former MVP Rey Suerte and Monic Soliva.

UC/ML also retains most of its roster from Cesafi led by import Frederick Elombi along with Garciano Puerto, John Jabello and Justine Dacalos.

Cebu Landmasters, in the meantime, fields a mix of veterans and youngsters 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.

The fifth team in the league, University of San Jose-Recoletos/ May Abuhan will sit out the opening day.

USJR/May Abuhan is composed of a core of Cesafi players led by reigning Cesafi MVP Jaybie Mantilla and RJ Dinolan, and reinforced with a new import, 6’10” Cameroonian center Kingsley Ewenike, and former PBA AllStar Roger Yap.

Tickets for the week-long commercial basketball action is sold cheap - P30 for lower box seats, P20 for upperbox and P10 for general admission.

This tournament is part of the Cebu City’s thrust of reviving commercial basketball leagues.