PBA Legends tour of Kingdom starts

Let the games to take legions of Filipino basketball fans down PBA memory lane begin.
Less than 48 hours after their arrival at the King Fahad International Airport in Dammam former PBA players from Manila plunge into action today at the start of the PBA Legends Tour of Saudi Arabia at the Green House Stadium here.
The 10-man Legends team from Manila arrived Tuesday night and was welcomed at the airport by the organizers, Cordinations Est. Co. for events planning and organization led by Fahad Ibrahim Al Sekaity and Abdul Aziz Virgilio “Jawo” Dizon.
The players are Marlou Aquino, EJ Joseph Fiehl, Bonnel Balingit, Rodney Santos, Bong Hawkins, Gherome Ejercito, Gerald Esplana, Vince Hizon, Bal David and Noli Locsin. To join them from the US are Ponky Alolor and PBA Legends USA Foundation secretary-general Ruffy Ignacio, who were expected to arrive last night. Abe King was supposed to be on the team but could not make the trip for some reason.
PBA Legends open their three-city Saudi swing with a game against Al Nahda at 5 p.m. today with the second game at 7 p.m. to pit the Eastern Region Filipino All Stars of coach Gil Rivera and sponsored by National Pipe Company against Al Hasa.
Tomorrow’s schedule at Dammam will have the winners in the first and second game to face each other at 7 p.m. after the 5 p. m. game of teams from the losers’ bracket.
From Dammam, the visiting team moves to Jeddah for a three-day joust at Green Hall Stadium starting Saturday with a twinbill as follows: 6 p.m. Jeddah All Stars of OPBL Chairman Boy Teves vs. Al Ittihad-Madinah, 8 p.m. PBA Legends versus Ahli junior team. On Sunday the games will follow the format in Dammam with the games scheduled at 6 p.m. nad 8 p.m. The third day on Monday will see the Legends going up against All-Star Filipino Selection at 6 p.m. and Jeddah Selection against Arab Selection at 8 p.m.
The Riyadh itinerary starts with a Legends press conference on Oct. 31 at 7 p.m. at Batha. On Nov. 1, the first game at 6 p.m. will be between Riyadh All Stars of PABA Regional Director Nasser Ponpunan against FAEC-Dammam of coach Ariel Julio and team manager Edward Francis and the second game at 8 p.m. will pit the Legends against the combined Riyadh and Jeddah All-Stars of Lito Villanueva. Both games are at Green Olympic Stadium. The winners-losers format is again to be applied for the Nov. 2 games.
Nov. 3 is the departure date of the delegation.
The goodwill games coinciding with the Haj holidays are being held under the auspices of the General Presidency of Youth Welfare headed by president Prince Nawaf bin Faisal.
Supporting the event are diamond sponsors Mobily, Globe and National Pipe Co. (NPC), silver sponsors
Enjaz Banking Services, Flash Cargo, AND1, Hat Trick, My Remit, Asia United Bank, Bai Aluminum, Quantum Science, Giordano, Metro Bank, Western Union, Jahawer Shareq, KSA Channel 2, and QS Life.





.