Balamban Fiesta Cup to feature top commercial basketball teams

The organizers of the Balamban Fiesta Cup Inter-Commercial Basketball Tournament pose for a group photo during a press conference on Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2023. CDN Digital photo | Glendale Rosal

CEBU CITY, Philippines—Some of the top commercial basketball teams in the region will clash in the cash-rich Balamban Fiesta Cup Inter-Commercial Basketball Tournament on Saturday, September 9, 2023, at the E.S. Binghay Sports Complex in Balamban town, western Cebu.

The upcoming basketball tournament will feature five of the top commercial teams, including the reigning Sinulog Basketball Cup champion, the EGS Talisay and runners-up, the K&L Marketing of Naga City.

Also vying for the title are AC Troopers/Eversure Catmon, Good Shepherd Toledo City, and the Tuburan 360 Coffee. 

Some notable cagers like Pilipinas Super League (PSL) “Most Valuable Player” Emman Calo, Patrick Cabahug, William McAloney, Shaq Imperial, and Jaybie Mantilla will be seeing action in the Balamban Fiesta Cup.

Other notable players in Jonel Bonganciso, Eloy Poligrates, and Reed Juntilla will also play for their respective teams. 

Balamban Fiesta Cup back after 30 years

In a presser, one of the organizers, Jun Migallen, said that Balamban is excited to bring back this basketball tournament roughly 30 years after its last staging. 

“It’s almost three decades since we had our last inter-commercial basketball tournament. So, we’re very excited, and the local basketball fans in Balamban are also excited to see top-notch basketball action,” said Migallen during the presser on Wednesday, September 6, at the KKD restaurant.

He was joined by fellow organizers in Joseph Mapa and Wendel Compasion. Also present during the presser was EGS Talisay team owner and basketball patron Wilson Villanueva and Rey Cañete of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Region 7. 

“There was nobody willing to organize an inter-commercial basketball tournament back in the day that’s why it took very long for Balamban to host this kind of sports event. Fortunately, we now have people who are passionate in basketball that can help us stage this event,” added Migallen. 

Tournament format

The Mayor Ace Binghay-backed tournament will have a single round robin format with the top team automatically earning a championship berth. 

The remaining four teams will vie in the knockout round, where the winning team takes the other championship slot. 

The champion team will walk away with a whopping P150,000 purse.

The tournament will be one of the highlight activities of Balamban town’s annual fiesta in honor of its patron, Saint Francis of Asisi. 

The opening games on Saturday features EGS versus Tuburan 360 Coffee in the first game at 6:30 PM, followed by AC Troopers vs K&L Marketing at 8:30 PM. 

/bmjo

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