Amateur basketball leagues to stage inter-region tournament

The Philippines' amateur leagues have banded together to stage the First BAP-SBP Pilipinas Cup from October 2 to 13 in selected venues all over the country. The tournament is aimed at boosting the basketball pool of talents following the national team's failure to gain a shot at the 2008 Olympics at the ongoing FIBA Asia men's championship. The project is being organized by the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) and community-based leagues Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) and the National Basketball Conference (NBC), according to a statement issued on Wednesday. The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP), with Manny Pangillinan as president and Patrick Gregorio as executive director, is supporting the project. The tournament will have 16 teams representing 16 regions. They will be divided into four groups of four teams each. The teams will play each team in their group once, with the top two in each division advancing to the sudden-death playoff round. "The divisions did not follow the traditional regional groupings of provinces," said project director Noel Zarate. "We made sure that there will be balanced competition. Some regions had to be merged while the known basketball hotbeds had to be divided." Besides Metro Manila, cities being eyed to host the elimination round games are Baguio, Metro Manila, Naga, Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan de Oro, and Davao Players from the PBL, MVBA, and NBC – as well as free agents – may play for either the team representing their own birthplace or the birthplace of either of their parents. An age limit of 30 years will be imposed to give younger players a chance to be discovered. A team will also be required to recruit two teenagers, with scholarships awaiting them should their team win the championship. With the setup, it is possible for players from opposite leagues to see play for the same team. According to Zarate, the tournament also hopes to rekindle the Filipinos passion for the game and stir regional pride. Among those involved in the project are PBL commissioner Chino Trinidad and chairman Gil Angeles, MVBA chairman Oscar Moreno (who is also governor of Misamis Oriental) and MVBA commissioners Willy Generalao and Jose Murillo, NBC president Tac Padilla and executive vice president Bambol Tolentino (who is also mayor of Tagaytay City). - GMANews.TV