SINULOG CUP 2024 BLASTS OFF
‘Underdog’ EGS starts title defense
CEBU COLISEUM
3:00 P.M. EGS VS UNBL 4:30 P.M. UC VS KHALIFA
6:00 P.M. Z’NARS VS CHASE TOWER 7:30 P.M. OCCCI VS CRMC
Team EGS of Cebuano sports patron Wilson Bas Villanueva will begin their title retention campaign as the Sinulog Cup 2024 Basketball Tournament gets underway today at the Cebu City Sports Institute (CCSI) gym in Barangay Sawang Calero.
Even though they’re the defending champion, head coach Edsel Vallena considers EGS as an ‘underdog’ in the five-day tilt supported by the Sinulog Foundation, Inc. (SFI). He did not elaborate in tagging his team as such.
“Ako ikasaad aning duwaa ron nga bisan underdog mi, tagaan namo sila og maayong fight,” said Vallena. “Dili mi basta-basta mo give-up. Molaban gihapon ni among team kutob sa among mahimo. Hangtud dili mo-buzzer ang 4th quarter, tagaan namo sila og maayong duwa.”
In pursuit of keeping throne, EGS will bank on exPBA players Paul Desiderio and Jojo Tangkay, former CESAFI MVP Shaq Imperial, MPBL veteran John Orbeta, and former collegiate standouts Kevin Villafranca, JC Escalona, Justine Dacalos, and James Ferraren.
Completing the 15-man EGS roster are Joseph Cabahug, Cris Dumapig, Kent Ivo Salarda, Van Clark Alsola, Mike Parilla, King Harvie Orcullo, and Christwil Villanueva.
EGS will take on the United Negros Basketball League (UNBL) of Bacolod City in the 3 p.m. opener of a heavy quadruple-header that also features Tacloban City’s Team Khalifa against CESAFI first runner-up University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters in the second game at 4:30 p.m.
The Chase Tower Runs of shipping tycoon Chase Cokaliong will make their debut in the commercial derby against Z’Nars Jewelry of Marawi City at 6 p.m., while the OCCCI Sheermasters of Ormoc will lock horns with another college team Cebu Roosevelt Memorial Colleges (CRMC) Mustangs in the main match at 7:30 p.m.
The eight contenders will compete in a single round robin format, with the top two in each bracket advancing to the crossover semifinals. The winners will then figure in a sudden-death title clash.
The champion will take home P150,000. The first runner-up will pocket P100,000, while the third and fourth placers will receive P50,000 and P25,000, respectively.