Sinulog Cup considered a success, walkouts seen as birth pains, next year’s tourney anticipated

SINULOG CUP. This is Cebu City Councilor Dondon Hontiveros during the championship game of the Sinulog Cup 2024 Basketball Tournament. | Ronex Tolin

CEBU CITY, Philippines — Cebu City Councilor Dondon Hontiveros is already looking forward to next year’s Sinulog Cup Basketball Tournament despite the back-to-back walkouts from two teams that competed in the tournament this week at the Cebu City Sports Institute. 

In the post-championship game interview, Hontiveros assessed that the tournament was highly successful. Still, they have also endured birth pains since they have been organizing this for just a couple of years. 

READ: Another ugly walkout mars Sinulog Cup basketball

Sinulog Cup walkouts: Tourney’s birth pains

“Makaingon ta successful, but again naa man gyud nay gitawag nato nga birth pains,” said Hontiveros.

(We can say that it was successful, but again there is what we call birth pains.)

“Dili ta ka blame sa emotions during the game. Even the night before sa EGS, nimessage sila sa commissioner nirequest mi mopadayon nila, sa lain nga duwa, there was really something that happened in the game. Obviously, there was a call nga angay gyud tawagan sa referee but again dili ta makablame sa ilahang emotions sa UNBL last night.” 

(We cannot blame the emotions during the game. Even the night before in EGS, they messaged the commissioner, we requested that they continue, the rather questionable game, there was really something that happened in the game. Obviously, there was a call that the referee should have called, but again, we cannot blame their emotions to the UNBL last night.)

READ: EGS team owner on walkout: ‘We had enough of unfair calls’

EGS walkout

To recall, the erstwhile champions, EGS, walked out in the second period of their non-bearing game against the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters. According to team owner, Wilson Villanueva, they had enough of the alleged “biased and unfair” calls from the referees. 

Also, he noted that it was a non-bearing game, and his players already had other commitments, so they decided to walk out of the game. 

Meanwhile, the United Negros Basketball League (UNBL) All-Stars walked out of the game with 14.7 seconds in their semifinal game against the tournament’s eventual first-runners-up, the OCCCI Sheermasters-Ormoc.

Mark Yee of the UNBL was called for an offensive foul for his illegal screening on OCCCI’s Jimpaul Amistoso. The foul led to their walkout, as their team allegedly had the same sentiments as EGS for “unfair calls” throughout the game. 

READ: EGS to be sanctioned for walking out of game vs UC

Sinulog Cup to be held next year with few changes

Despite the setback, Hontiveros wants to continue organizing the post-Sinulog Festival sports event next year with a caveat. 

He wants to filter out teams that join the tournament to prevent such incidents from happening. 

“There’s a possibility to change the format; as much as we wanted daghan makaduwa (many can play), we base it with their standings sa (in) Cesafi,” said Hontiveros. 

“Ato na tan-awn kinsa teams pwede makaduwa.”

(We will see which teams can play.)

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Z’Nars Jewelers-Marawi City champions

Six commercial teams and two Cesafi collegiate teams battled in the week-long tournament proper. Before that, there was a qualifying tournament featuring Cesafi collegiate teams where two of the top squads advanced to the tournament proper. 

“Nakita ninyo napuno gyud sa crowd ang venue. They were expecting a competitive game. Napakita gyud nato. After five games in the eliminations to the finals, taas kaayo ang quality sa basketball game,” said Hontiveros.

(You saw that the crowd filled our venue. They were expecting a competitive game. We proved that. After five games in the eliminations to the finals, the quality of the basketball games were very high.)

“Hopefully, this will be a signal for more tournaments this year. I hope this will be a yearly event sa (in) Sinulog. As what I said during the press conference, magdepende ra gyud na sa behavior sa teams (it will depend on the behavior of the teams).”

Z’Nars Jewelers-Marawi City defeated the OCCCI Sheermasters-Ormoc City, 95-89, in the championships on Saturday evening, January 27, 2024. 

READ: Magnolia goes for sweep of Phoenix for first PBA Finals slot

Charter Day hoopla

Hontiveros will propose to the Cebu City government’s promotions cluster this week, hoping to get approval from them to organize the Charter Day basketball tournament next month. 

“The next big event is the Charter Day tournament; I will propose again the City government’s promotions cluster, we hope we can come up with the league,” Hontiveros said.