Pacman caging draws 18 teams

The 1st MP Cup basketball tournament of boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao, which will kick off on October 14 at the University of San Carlos (USC)-Main gym, has attracted a huge turnout of entries that exceeded the expectations of the organizers.

From the initial 12 teams, the number of participants snowballed to 18 during the organizational meeting presided over by event coordinator George Rama and technical officials Rico Navarro and Danny Duran yesterday at Conching’s Native Restaurant in North reclamation area.

Pacquiao’s Team Pacman spearheads the list of entries that also include the Cebu Sports Media Association (CSMA), United Architects’ Basketball Club (UABC), Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association (CECABA), San Carlos Boys High Alumni Basketball Association (SCBHABA), Barkadahan-Rama Boys, RWS Stable, and the Metro Cebu Basketball Association (MCBA).

The rest of the competitors are Club Monday, Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC), Kidney Care-Arthro, Dewfoam-CECABA Batch ’88, Punta Princesa Sports Association (PPSA), House of Hope, Integrated Bar of the Philippines (IBP), Unity Basketball Club (UBC), PAGCOR-Waterfront Airport Hotel, and Jaycees Basketball Association (JBA).

The competing teams will be divided into two groups of nine. Each group will play a single-round robin classification round. The top two teams per bracket will advance into the crossover semifinals, with the winners slugging it out for the championship in a winner-take-all affair.

The champion will receive P50,000, while the second and third placers will pocket P30,000 and P20,000. A special prize will be handed out to the Best Muse during the opening ceremony. There will also be special awards to the regular season and finals MVPs, and the Mythical Five members.

The two-month tilt is exclusive to players aged 30 years old and above. Cut-off year is 1977. Exempted from the age limit are Team Pacman and the CSMA Hoopsters.

Each team is allowed a total of 15 players. However, former commercial and college varsity players are not eligible to play.

The deadline for submission of entries is on October 10 in time for the group’s final meeting still at Conching’s restaurant.