NIñOS TAP EX-PBA PROS FOR MPBL

Casino Active Cebu City Ninos tap three ex-pros and former collegiate stars for MPBL debut

The Casino Active Cebu City Niños have tapped former collegiate standouts and ex-PBA players for their debut in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) Season 2.

The Niños will have the services of former PBA players Jondan Salvador, Cesar Catli, and Erick Rodriguez. Providing the needed support will be former varsity players from the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi).

In the lineup are former Unibecause versity of the Visayas stalwarts John Abad, Harold Cincoflores, Franz Arong, Alfred Codilla and Raffy Octobre; former University of San Jose Recoletos’ Iron Suano, Victor Nunez, Kevin Villafranca; and former University of San Carlos players William McCalone, Enrico Llanto and Ian Ortega.

Completing the lineup are Southwestern University-Phinma’s Bernie Bregondo and Jun Luz; University of Cebu’s JR Puerto and Mark Abadia from Adamson University.

Jerome Calatrava, vice-president of Omega Pro Sports International, confirmed to SunStar Cebu that their lineup is now set and will start preparations for MPBL’s Season 2, which opens on June 12.

“Yes, for now the lineup is final. The next step is to put the team on a rigid training. We have hired a conditioning team for the team to speed up their training, so we can get ready for the season,” he said.

He added that they will be having a series of tuneup games in Cebu before the team leave for Manila weeks before the opening on June 12.

Calatrava said that the team owners’ meeting with Commissioner Kenneth Duremdes is scheduled next week and he expects the game schedules will also be finalized after that. /