Local players will be prioritized by the teams when they play in the Mindanao-Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA).
League organizer Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba said this will be strictly implemented once the league starts its inaugural season next year.
Meanwhile, the MVBA is gearing for its pre-season tournament dubbed Gov. Gwen Garcia Cup on Dec. 15-21 at the Cebu Coliseum.
Alcoseba said one of the teams that will vie in the tournament is Team PacMan from General Santos City, owned and managed by boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.
Team to watch
“The Gensan PacMan is the team to watch in the pre-season games. They have been winning tournaments in Maramag and Tagum and I believe the team will even be stronger in the pre-season games,” said Alcoseba.
The MVBA aims to attract eight teams each from the Visayas and in Mindanao, to give players in the provinces proper exposure – instead of going through the usual Manila route.
“Local players will have to play for their cities or provinces. We do this to maximize the exposure of the homegrown athletes even if they would say they have been trained and are known in a certain city,” said Alcoseba.
This forces Alcoseba, who is the head coach of the multi-titled M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala, to let go of some of his players who will play for their hometowns.
Interested
Aside from Gensan PacMan and the Jewelers, a team culled from the Iloilo Basketball League, another from Bacolod City, the Ozamiz Cotta and Bacchus Energy Drink will also join the tournament.
“Bacchus team owner Bong Tan is very interested to bankroll the Bacolod team, that is why he is bringing his Manila-based team in the pre-season games to know how tough the competition is in the MVBA,” said Alcoseba.
Aside from Tan, team owners from Iligan City, Davao del Sur and Pamplona, Negros Oriental will also be around to observe the conduct of the tournament.
