AFTER a year on the shelf, the Country Wide Basketball League (CWBL) is set to get off the ground, with the opening set for October, said league founder Joe Lipa.
The CWBL was supposed to launch last year but got derailed after media partner ABS-CBN abruptly pulled the plug on their support of the league.
Now, with new partners in marketing and media coverage, the CWBL is poised to offer opportunities to players from various corners of the country.
According to Lipa, the Cebu Landmasters and M. Lhuillier have expressed their verbal commitment in joining the league. Six teams from the NCR/Luzon and Visayas-Mindanao regions are slated to kick off the inaugural season.
Teams will only be allowed to field in pure Filipino-bred players. Players will be required to present their Philippine passports duly issued by the Department of Foreign Affairs.
Aside from giving players the exposure they need to possibly take their games to the next level, the CWBL will also be putting the spotlight on various cities and towns where the games will be held.
Basketball fans will be able to follow the league through television as well as live streaming services on social media sites such as Facebook and YouTube.
The CWBL plans to hold two regular conferences annually. After the regular conferences, the top four teams with best cumulative win-loss records will compete in the championship series to determine the overall champion for the season. This tournament structure will make teams play their best in every game.
There will be two games per play date that will be held on Saturdays and Sundays.