Pinoyliga Global expects bigger participation next year

Games Wednesday

(UST Quadrecentennial Gym, Manila)

9:30 a.m. – UE vs UST (men’s)

11 a.m. – UP vs UST (women’s)

(Tanduay Gym, Manila)

2 p.m. – Nagoya Gakuin vs EAC (men’s)

MANILA, Philippines — As the Pinoyliga ushered in a new tournament with international flavor via the Global Invitational Cup, an official of Pinoyliga is already thinking of next year with hopes of more participants particularly from collegiate teams from different parts of the globe.

Benny Benitez, tournament director of Pinoyliga Cup, said that having five teams each in the men’s and women’s categories in the first year of the Global Invitational is an achievement already, as Nagoya Gakuin University and Filipino-American Nation select joined three local schools.

The goal for next year, he said, is to invite more schools from other countries.

“It’s a dream come true for Pinoyliga Cup to finally have a tournament with international flavor. We’re very happy they accepted our invitation to play in the Global Invitational Cup,” said Benitez in a media briefing Monday night held at the Games Ville Sports Bar in Mandaluyong City.

“We’re hopeful that this is the start of many more Global Invitational tournaments, with more teams joining like of course Japan (again next year), Korea, Taiwan, US, Australia and New Zealand,” Benitez added.

Nagoya Gakuin coach Hideki Takenoshita, whose men’s and women’s basketball teams are considered top squads in Japan playing in different regional and national tournaments, said they are excited to play here knowing the physical brand of play in the Philippines.

“We played De La Salle University (in Japan), and we know they (Filipinos) play physically. We’re ready, we’re excited and we’ll try to win all our games here,” said Takenoshita.

Aside from Fil-Am Nation, which the Nagoya Gakuin University will face on Thursday at Tanduay Gym in Manila, the visiting team will also play University of Santo Tomas (Tuesday at UST gym), Emilio Aguinaldo College (Wednesday at Tanduay Gym) and University of the East (Saturday at Paco Arena).

In the women’s category, Nagoya Gakuin lost to the UST Lady Tigers (68-55), will face the Women's Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (WMPBL) All-Stars (Thursday at Tanduay Gym), Ateneo (Friday at Tanduay Gym), and UP (Saturday at Paco Arena).