Liga Pilipinas, newest caging league, to launch 1st season

MANILA, Philippines - Liga Pilipinas, the Philippines' newest basketball league, will formally launch its first season on Saturday at the Cebu Coliseum in Cebu City, according to a league statement issued Thursday. The formal launching comes after the league successfully staged its first preseason tournaments this week. Pampanga Buddies and Cebu Niños will lead the opening rites on Saturday. The Buddies and the Niños are the North and South preseason champions, respectively. Other teams competing in the tournament include the Ilocos Snipers, Baguio Victory, Taguig Batang Global, Laguna Stallions, Iloilo Warriors, Misamis Oriental Meteors, Zamboanga Amores, Pagadian Explorers, Ozamiz Cota, Quezon, Batangas Barakos, and the Cavite Heroes. All Liga Pilipinas teams are based in a town, city, or province and each will have commercial partners. Invited as keynote speaker at the launching is Manny V. Pangilinan, president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas. "The fun and excitement of regional basketball is back," Noli Eala, president of Liga Pilipinas, said. "We are proud of the modest gains of Liga at this infancy stage. Now the real work begins." Eala will be joined during the opening ceremonies by Liga officials Tac Padilla, Michelle Lhullier, Tito Palma, Jose Soberano, Misamis Oriental governor Oscar Moreno, and Tagaytay Mayor Bambol Tolentino. In the preseason tournament, Pampanga dominated Laguna, 80-59, the C.P. Tinga Gym in Taguig to bag the northern title. Emerson Oreta finished with 17 points and Christian Luanzon contributed 16 for the Buddies. Ilocos Sur edged host Taguig, 83-82, to take third place. - GMANews.TV