Sinulog Cup 2025 pushes through amid scheduling tightrope with Mayor’s Cup
Team representatives and organizers of Sinulog Cup 2025 Basketball Tournament headed by Cebu City Vice Mayor Dondon Hontiveros pose for a photo during its launching. | CDN Digital photo / Glendale Rosal
CEBU CITY, Philippines — The annual Sinulog Cup 2025 Basketball Tournament, organized by the Sinulog Foundation Inc. (SFI), will officially tip off on Tuesday, January 21, at the Cebu Coliseum, featuring five competitive teams battling for hardwood supremacy.
Cebu City Vice Mayor Donaldo “Dondon” Hontiveros confirmed on Monday that the Sinulog Cup, a staple sports event during the Sinulog Festival, will push through despite coinciding with the “Mayor’s Cup” of Mayor Raymond Alvin Garcia that is set to begin on January 25.
In a press conference, Hontiveros addressed concerns raised by RKF, a guest team from Iloilo City participating in both tournaments, assuring that scheduling conflicts will be avoided.
READ: CIT-U Wildcats reign supreme in 1st Sinulog Volleyball Men’s Open
“Our guest team from Iloilo was worried about potentially overlapping games during the semifinals or finals of both tournaments. However, with the help of officials from the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) handling both events, I know they will do their best that adjustments will be made to accommodate their games,” said Hontiveros.
However, Hontiveros clarified that he has no problem at all if there’s another tournament, stating that it’s in fact beneficial for the commercial players whose livelihood depends on the tournaments they join.
READ: UNBL beats Sinulog Cup defending champs in opener
“Hopefully, whichever teams nga apil diri ug apil sa pikas tournament, mahatagan ug consideration sa scheduling sa ilang duwa sa SBP,” said Hontiveros.
Sinulog Cup 2025
Joining RKF are the Cebu City Selection, composed of players from the Duke Frasco Christmas Open; Lilo-an Team Frasco, last year’s runners-up in the same tournament; the University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, CESAFI Men’s Basketball first runners-up; and a “mystery team” yet to be unveiled, according to Hontiveros.
READ: Sinulog Cup 2025: A potential shift from basketball to volleyball
The Sinulog Cup will feature a single-round robin format. The top two teams will face off in the championship, while the third and fourth placers will battle for third place. All teams will receive cash prizes: ₱200,000 for the champion, ₱100,000 for the runner-up, ₱50,000 for third place, ₱25,000 for fourth place, and ₱10,000 for fifth place.
RKF coaching official Joe Fort Rivera Sunio expressed optimism but acknowledged the challenge of managing both tournaments.
“It’s tough to transition between tournaments, but our objective is to win championships in both. We hope the organizers can align the schedules so we can compete effectively. If the schedule permits, we’re ready to give it our best,” said Sunio.
The tournament opener is set for 6 p.m. and will be free to the public.
Disclaimer: The comments uploaded on this site do not necessarily represent or reflect the views of management and owner of Cebudailynews. We reserve the right to exclude comments that we deem to be inconsistent with our editorial standards.