MANILA, Philippines – The Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) ushers in a new era as the country’s latest professional league with a loaded quintuple-header opening day for its awaited Invitational Tournament at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.
Festivities begin at 9:30 a.m. featuring Iloilo United Royals and Negros Muscovados followed by a collision between former champion San Juan Go For Gold AICC and Val City-MJAS Zenith at 1:30 p.m.
All-Star Bacolod Ballers and Bacoor City Strikers then follow suit at 4 p.m. in their own duel before the clashes of Bulacan Kuyas-Imus Bandera at 6:30 p.m. and Bicol Volcanoes-Jumbo Plastic Basilan at 9 p.m.
A total of 22 teams divided into four groups are in the fray of the MPBL, which has been granted pro status by the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) on Thursday.
Only the top two teams from each group will advance to the knockout playoffs of the tourney slated until December 23 with a luxurious grand prize of P2,000,000 for the champion squad.
This will be MPBL’s return to action under a closed-circuit setup since finishing the pandemic-delayed Lakan Season last March in Subic in a full-bubble setting.
Also set for return are in-game fans, so long as fully-vaccinated, under limited capacity pursuant to the guidelines of the Inter-Agency Task Force and the Pasay City local government unit (LGU).