Hoopla to expand next year

The Coca-Cola Hoopla, now in its Inter-Zonal finals stage with five teams left standing, will likely expand its National Capital Region (NCR) coverage to a nationwide platform next year.

Conceptualized by Coca-Cola Export vice president for communications and public affairs J. B. Baylon, the Hoopla started out as an experimental summer league last year with teams representing 17 NCR cities. This year, it grew to a five-zone format involving 21 cities, nearly 1,000 players in the 18-and-under category and 65 barangay teams.

The five surviving contenders are Caloocan from the North zone, Antipolo from the West, Mandaluyong from Central, Quezon City from the East and Taguig from the South.

“Because of the success of the NCR program, it is now being considered to make Coca-Cola Hoopla nationwide next year,” said commissioner Joe Lipa who owns and manages a sporting goods store Jomapage on the ground floor of the Pasay City Mall, specializing in basketballs, uniforms and trophies. “This is grassroots development at the very core, a talent search program on a regional basis and great fun are rolled into one. It’s also a good chance for players bypassed by collegiate coaches to show they deserve to be recognized.”

The champion team earns the top prize of P250,000. The second placer takes home P125,000, the third placer P75,000 and the fourth placer P50,000. Last year, Muntinlupa stunned favored Pasig to clinch the title in the Inter-Zonal finals.

In this year’s edition, all 21 cities were represented by three teams except Quezon City, Manila and Makati which had four squads apiece because of the size of their population and land area. The Intra-City phase with 65 entries took over three weeks to finish with city officials taking time out to cheer for their teams in the stands. Among the cheerleaders were Navotas Mayor John Rey Tiangco, Quezon City Vice Mayor Joy Belmonte, Marikina Mayor Del de Guzman, Marikina Vice Mayor Jose Fabian Cadiz, Binangonan Mayor Cecil (Boyet) Ynares and Valenzuela Councilor and former PBA cager Gerry Esplana. From the Intra-City level, the tournament went to the Inter-City phase with 21 surviving teams. Now, the cast is down to five in the Inter-Zonal finals.

A mythical first team and an MVP will be named after the Inter-Zonals.

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The oldest player in the ongoing FIBA-Asia Champions Cup is 40-year-old Adel Aljuhani of Al Ittihad of Saudi Arabia but on the court, he hardly acts his age. The 6-2 sharpshooter is quick on the draw and fast on his feet.

Against Duhok of Iraq, Aljuhani sizzled for 21 points, spiked by six triples. He netted 19 in the game against Applied Science University (ASU) of Jordan. It’s not difficult to spot Aljuhani on the floor – he wears long black socks that go up all the way to his knees.

The next oldest player in the tournament is 38-year-old Asi Taulava of Gilas. Others who are at least 35 are Mohamed Alharbi and Ali Almaghrabi of Al Ittihad and Samaki Walker of Al Jala’a.

The youngest player is 19-year-old, 6-9 Mohammed Salah Mahdi of Duhok. Malaysia’s Yoong Jing Kwaan, Qatar’s Abdullah Matalkeh and Lebanon’s Amir Saoud are 20 years old.

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Al Rayyan import Michael Cuffee flew in a few hours before Qatar’s game against Al Shabab last Monday and didn’t make his Champions Cup debut until the Lebanon outing the next day.

Cuffee, a 6-4 swingman from Middle Tennessee State, played in Denmark, Finland, Italy and Turkey before landing in Qatar. He suited up for the San Antonio Spurs in two NBA summer leagues but never made it to the regular season.

Against Lebanon, Cuffee tried too hard to make an impact and wound up playing out of control, shooting only 1-of-8 from the floor and 3-of-6 from the line in 25 minutes. If Al Rayyan is to go far in the playoffs, coach Brian Rowsom must generate more productivity from Cuffee.

Al Rayyan battles ASU of Jordan in the knockout quarterfinals at the Philsports Arena tonight. If Qatar prevails, it will advance to the semifinals against the winner of Lebanon versus Iraq.

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In the finals of the recent Asian men’s B division ice hockey 5s championships in Hong Kong, the Manila Predators and Gold Club of China battled to a 1-all standoff at the end of regulation. Neither team scored in overtime so a shootout settled the outcome. Predators goalkeeper Gerald Tang deflected Gold Club’s second attempt, paving the way for teammate Andre Gan to knock in the winning goal for the crown.

“Next year, we’ll be elevated to play in the Asian men’s A division where the competition will be tougher with China, Korea and Japan, countries with a long history of winter sports,” said Predators coach Deric Cadiz. “It won’t be easy playing against the Asian powers but we’ll try our best. The Predators are mainly students. Only three have graduated so next year, if time, budget and summer school schedules allow, we’ll be back in the tournament.”

The Predators’ defenders are Carlo Soriano, Fil-Norwegian Marvin Rognvik and 26-year-old Paul Medina. The offense is bannered by Gan (named best forward), Nico Cadiz, Joey Villarama, Carl Montano, Ian Cadiz, Charles Cambaliza and Javi Cadiz. The MVP was goalkeeper Tang.