Mighty Sports-Xavier cagefest gets going

MANILA, Philippines - The Tean Banal of Terence Tang (‘98) and San Juan Mayor JV Ejercito (‘87) launched its title defense at the start yesterday of the 2009 Mighty Sports-Xavier Alumni Open basketball tournament at the Jacinto Tiu gym in Xavier School.

Seven other teams are taking part in the event, which serves as a reunion for all Xavier alumni. It is also the pre-season to the Xavier Alumni Basketball League (XABL), the longest running alumni tournament. 

With the XABL focusing on batch teams, the Mighty Sports-Xavier Alumni Open held its own annual drafting where one cannot select his teammates but is assigned to a team from a different batch. 

This procedure, according to the organizing committee, helps create new friendships and alliances. This year, each team is allowed to have 15 players in its lineup, a testament to the success and growth of the tournament since its birth.

The league was conceptualized by players of different batches who once played together in several commercial leagues.

Comprising the committee are Michael Chua (‘97), Jay Llanos-Dee (‘97), Jean Alabanza (‘93), Tang, Marvin Sioco (‘99), Daniboy Balanzat (‘97), Brenton Chua (‘94), Victor Onglatco (‘97), Fritz Dy (‘96), Carlo Tan (‘93) and Andrew Ng (‘99). Tournament commissioner is Brian Brenton Chua.