Meralco Bolts open quest in Thailand Champions Cup

MANILA, Philippines — The Meralco Bolts, bannered by imports Allen Durham and Liam McMorrow, take on host team Mono Vampire at the start of the 2019 FIBA Asia Champions Cup at Stadium 29 in Nonthaburi, Thailand today.

With Meralco’s participation in the Asian inter-club tourney as requested by no less than FIBA secretary general Patrick Bauhmann, the PBA had to postpone the Governors Cup doubleheader at the Ynares Sports Center tomorrow where the Bolts were slated to play the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters.

Also shelved was the Blackwater-Alaska Milk tiff. The twinbill was moved to Oct. 21 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.

The Bolts vie in the Champions Cup against the Mono Vampire, Japan’s Alvark Tokyo, Lebanon’s Al Riyadi, Chinese Taipei’s Pauian Archiland, China’s Liaoning Flying Leopards, Korea’s SK Knights and Iran’s Petrochimi.

The Bolts are bunched with Mono Vampire, Alvark Tokyo and Al Riyadi in Group B.

In the opener, the Bolts face the home team reinforced by veteran PBA import Michael Singletary along with Marcus Johnny Keene and Moses Morgan.

The Japanese are backstopped by Alex Ryan Kirk, Zack Alan Baranski and Milko Bjelica while the Lebanese are reinforced by Mark Lyons and Christopher Obekpa.

Introduced in 1981, the Champions Cup was dominated by the Philippines in its earlier years.

Northern Cement reigned supreme in 1984 in Ipoh, Malaysia, Swift-PABL triumphed in 1988 in Jakarta, Andok’s had its title run in 1995 in Kuala Lumpur then Hapee Toothpaste ruled in 1996 in Manila. But no Philippine squad has won since then.