Execs Cup All-Star Game today Inter-Alumni stars seek vengeance vs. Inter-Club

Revenge is on top of their minds when the Inter-Alumni All-Stars collide with their Inter-Club counterparts in today's 2006 Executives Cup All-Star Game at the City Sports Club-Cebu gym.

It wouldn't be an easy task though for the Inter-Alumni stars as the odds are stuck against them when they challenge the Inter-Club stalwarts in the lone match of the day scheduled at 1:30 pm.

This as the Inter-Alumni All-Stars will play without top playmaker Edwin Banaag (SCBHABA), who is still recuperating from an injury, as well as top centers Sammy Sia and Edvin Kaw (CECABA All-Stars) who are also on sickbay.

Given this predicament, the likes of 3-point sniper Chester Cokaliong (CECABA All-Stars), Paul Abais (SCBHABA), Theogene Lim (SHABA), Chris Sta. Maria and Peter Sta. Maria (Springdale PTA) must step up bigtime as the Inter-Alumni standouts seek to lash back at the Inter-Club side.

For the record, the Inter-Alumni has never won against the Inter-Club during the past two All-Star stagings.

During the league's inaugural season in 2004, the Inter-Club squad triumphed in lopsided fashion, 125-106. Last year, Inter-Alumni put up a gallant stand albeit for a losing end, 87-91.

As they bid to snap out of its two-game losing spell to Inter-Club, Cokaliong and company need to draw huge support from Joel Chan and Christopher Cokaliong (CECABA All-Stars), Dindo Sauda and Dean Wong (SCBHABA), Neil Lim (SHABA), and Rey Kenneth Ng (CECABA Selection).

Manpower wise, Inter-Club enjoys a slight edge by fielding in 14 of its best hardcourt warriors as against Inter-Alumni's 11.

Expected to be at the cornerstone of Inter-Club's offense are Esteban Cesar Ortega (PPSA Selection), Gilbert Gajudo (City Sports Club), Reynaldo Zamora (Barkada), James Lloyd Noel and Edmund Odulio, Jr. (JBA Selection).

They will be backed up by the full force of Joseph Jayme, Benedict Chua and Charlie Tolentino (JBA Selection), Andrew Borres and Edgar de la Calzada (Barkada), Andres Seno, Jr. and Demosthenes Alfeche (Club Monday) and Alfred Lim and Enrico Espinosa (PPSA Selection).

Elmer "Boy" Cabahug, former PBA star and current head coach of five-time CESAFI champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers, will call the shots for Inter-Alumni, while Celerino "Jun" Cabanca, Jr. will serve as Inter-Club's chief bench tactician.