2006 Executive's Cup basketball tournament kicks off this pm at City Sports Club

After a six-month hiatus, Chester Cokaliong swims back into the sea of competitive hardcourt action as the 2006 Executive's Cup basketball tournament kicks off this afternoon with an exciting triple-header on tap at the City Sports Club Cebu gym.

Cokaliong is expected to be at the forefront of the Pilipinas Shell-sponsored Cebu Eastern College Alumni Basketball Association (CECABA) All-Stars as they make another run for the championship following a cinderella finish last year.

The CECABA All-Stars will take on the Crunch Chicken/Purcia Transport-backed Jaycees Basketball Association (JBA) in the second game at 3:00 pm, right after the rejuvenated Cebu Home Builders-supported Sacred Heart Alumni Basketball Association (SHABA) collides with the Pepsi Max-backed Springdale-PTA in the season-opener at 1:30 pm.

The CECABA All-Stars are seeking no less than payback as JBA is the only team which they failed to beat in the eliminational round last season.

Host City Sports Club-Sirlitz/Skylark, on the other hand, will tackle Team Barkada in the main attraction at 4:30 pm.

A total of 11 teams are seeing action in the three-month competition, four are newcomers - City Sports Club, Springdale-PTA, Insular Life, and I-Coller Markering/Punta Princesa Sports Association (PPSA).

Insular Life and PPSA will be debuting in the league on Tuesday yet against Club Monday-Gatorade and M. Lhuillier-San Carlos Boys High Alumni Basketball Association (SCBHABA).

Of the league's pioneering members, only SHABA has bolstered its lineup by hiring in the services of the multi-awarded Theogene "Tiyoy" Lim, flashy guard Giovannie Young, and Tan Pang Eng (Frederick Randy).

The tournament follows a single round robin elimination format. The top eight teams advanving into the quarterfinal round where the top four seeds enjoy twice-to-beat incentives over the lower-ranked squads.



The remaining four teams will play another round robin, with the top two teams fighting it out for the championship in a best-of-three series.