ALKHOBAR: Jeddah and Riyadh delegations are to hit town today setting the stage for the start of the much anticipated Inter-regional basketball tournament dubbed All Filipino Regional Goodwill Games Showdown tomorrow at the Al Nahda Sports Club here.
The Jeddah delegation under the aegis of the (WPBL) Western Province Basketball League arrives on a Saudia flight at 8 p.m. at the King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, according to Commissioner Abdul Aziz “Jawo” Dizon of the organizing UFSA-DBL (United Filipino Sports Association-Dammam Basketball League).
WPBL Chairman Camansa “Rams” Gunao heads the delegation that includes 10 players and the veteran multititled coach Boy “Digital” Corsega. Gunao, Mohammad Bayoumi, the affable friend of the Filipino community in Jeddah and recipient of the Presidential Banaag Award, and JSO (Jameel Sports Organization) Executive Director Jimmy Beltran sponsored the participation of the WPBL All Star team in what is expected to be a blockbuster two-day event featuring the biggest names in Filipino basketball in the Kingdom.
The Riyadh contingent under the umbrella of MKB (Manggagawang Kapit Bisig) with the support of FILBAR (Filipino Basketball Association of Riyadh) is expected to arrive in time for the 9:30 p.m. press conference at Al Ramaniyah Mall here, Dizon said. During the conference, the first day game fixtures will be finalized by drawing of lots. Under the tournament format, the winners on the first day advance to the championship match with the losers to contest third place in another knockout game the following day.
Dizon said 30 percent of the net proceeds will be turned over to POLO-OWWA Eastern Province as financial assistance to distressed OFWs in the area. Tickets are priced at SR 15 each. Gametime is set for 1 p.m. A slam dunk competition highlights the second day action, Dizon added.
Eastern Province squads Jubail and Alkhobar complete the four select teams vying for bragging rights as the top Filipino basketball outfit in the prestigious tournament being held in the Kingdom every time the Eid holidays roll around.
On the eve of their departure for Alkhobar Corsega told Arab News the championship crown is 70 percent won if they win their first game. Fresh from winning the Panasonic Three-on-three Street Basketball title, Corsega is hopeful of bringing the Inter-regional crown back to Jeddah.
“This team is stronger than the one who won the 2005 Inter-regional crown. We are a complete team. We are ready to face whoever ex this or ex that they have on their team,” said Corsega.
Bannered by ex-PBL Welcoat Paints player Ankie Angeles and varsity cager Roel Ansay, Riyadh is equally bent on stopping the Eastern Province juggernaut. For the longest time, not a team from outside Eastern Province has won the championship in this basketball sweepstakes. Fahd Alireza Engineering Consultants through Sheikh Fahd and UMA (United Motors Agencies) are the major sponsors of the tournament. The other sponsors are Giordano Fashion, Sky Freight Forwarders, McDonald’s, Tropical Food Cuisine and TFC.
With Dizon in the UFSA-DBL Organizing Committee are Ely Panahon, chairman; Willy Fajardo, league consultant; Tito Pineda, marketing director; Victor delos Santos, finance director; Viktor Metran, technical director and Manny Principe, technical consultant.
