Organizers, coaches and team officials pose during the press conference of the Sinulog Cup 2018 at the Cebu City Sports Complex.
jonas panerio
Five-team basketball tournament gets underway on Monday at Cebu Coliseum
The Cebu City Sinulog Cup 2018 Basketball Invitational is all set to kick off after the coaches and team managers’ meeting yesterday at the Cebu City Sports Complex.
The five-team tournament gets underway on Monday at the Cebu Coliseum with the University of Cebu-M. Lhuillier taking on the veteran-laden Cebu Landmasters-Bogo City in the first game at 4:30 p.m., PBA D-League team Marinerong Pilipino then makes its debut against no less than the reigning Cesafi champions University of the Visayas-SG-ARQ Builders at 6 p.m.
Drawing a bye during the first day is the University of San Jose-Recoletos, which will be reinforced by former PBA great Roger Yap and incoming foreign player, 6-foot-10 Kingsely Ewenike.
“We’re excited, and as a former basketball team manager myself, we saw that there was a need to do something especially for those looking for basketball activity after and on top of the college scene,” said Cebu City Councilor, Jerry Guardo.
Teams will be playing in a single round-robin with the top two finishers advancing to the winner-take-all championship match.
The champion squad will bag P75,000 while the runner-up will receive P50,000. The third and fourth place squads will bring home P30,000 and P20,000, respectively.
All eyes will be on the Marinerong Pilipino Skippers, which will boast the likes of Gab Banal, Abu Tratter, former UV forward Ralf Olivares and UAAP Mythical Five member Alvin Pasaol.
The Cebu Landmasters will be no pushovers after they tapped the services of commercial basketball standouts Mark Ababon, John Abad, Ferdinand Lusdoc, William McAloney and former PBA players Jojo Tangkay and Rene Pacquiao.