Despite crisis, Liga attracts more teams

The current global crisis notwithstanding, the Liga Pilipinas is looking forward to a successful second conference like the one it had during its maiden tournament.

Noli Eala, league President and Chief-Executive Officer, said 11 teams are seeing action in the Smart Liga Pilipinas Conference II that gets underway today in General Santos City.

More could have joined regardless of the prevailing economic crisis, but opted to defer their involvement for failing to form competitive rosters.

“We’re very happy that despite the economic situation that we find ourselves in, a lot of teams till want to join Liga,” said Eala,

“Hopefully, we’ll have more teams by the time we hold our Conference III because there are some which begged off from joining because they want to have more time to prepare,” added Eala.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP).

 SBP developmental pool coach Rajko Toroman, concurrent technical head of Liga Pilipinas Perry Martinez and league business development head Joey Bautista joined Eala in the weekly session sponsored by Shakey’s, Accel, Brickroad gym and Aspen spa and MedCentral Medical Clinic and Diagnostic Center.

Six teams from Luzon and five in the Visayas and Mindanao headed by defending champion ML Pera-Kuwarta Padala Cebu Ninos comprised the conference cast of the community-based regional basketball league.

The Smart Pampanga, Ilocos Sur, Harbour Centre-Taguig, Trace Laguna, Quezon and Manila (taking over the Batangas franchise) composed the teams coming from Luzon while joining Cebu down South are Iloilo Mang Inasals, Zamboanga, Misamis Oriental and expansion team General Santos, owned by boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao.