Sinag Liga Asya underway

MANILA, Philippines — There’s a new league in town and it’s for players aged 40 years and above – the Sinag Liga Asya Lakas Kwarenta.

The tournament which attracted 16 teams fired off last Saturday at the Ynares Sports Center in Pasig City, and this early, there are more teams knocking on the door.

“The players are happy. At ngayon pa lang, marami pang gusto sumali. Hindi lang namin ma-accommodate because we want to finish before Christmas,” said league COO Leo Isaac.

The former PBA player told yesterday’s PSA Forum that each team is allowed to field one ex-pro provided that he has been inactive for five years.

Rodney Santos, another ex-PBA player, serves as league commissioner. He said the 16 teams were divided into two groups that will play a single round-robin elims leading to the quarterfinals, best-of-three semis and best-of-three finals.

Among the ex-pros seeing action are Wynne Arboleda, now 46, Egay Billones, now 47, and Gilbert Malabanan, now 44.