Pre-Christmas hoopla set in Cebu City

Sports

TOP commercial teams will give Cebuano basketball fans a huge treat before the year ends as they compete in the Cebu City Christmas Basketball Tournament.

Spearheaded by sportsman Rocky Alcoseba and the Cebu City Sports Commission (CCSC), the tournament will be held from Dec. 15-21 at the Cebu City Sports Institute in Barangay Sawang Calero.

Alcoseba announced that among the confirmed participating teams are Chase Tower Runs of Chase Cokaliong, the Mindanao-based Golden Knight Blancas, Mighty Warriors, and Welec Trucking Services.

Another possible participant is Sherilin.

Alcoseba said Sherilin has yet to make a final decision pending the completion of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) Season 25 basketball tournament.

Sheriliin reportedly plans to form a team composed of players from the University of the Visayas and University of Cebu, which are competing in the Cesafi Finals.

Huge cash prizes are at stake with the champion getting P200,000 and the first and second runner-up pocketing P100,000 and P75,000, respectively.

Alcoseba said holding the tournament is part of the city government’s efforts to re-establish the city’s reputation as home to major sporting events.

“Mayor Nestor Archival gave us the opportunity to bring sports events to Cebu. Basketball remains very popular here, but we’re also organizing various sports,” Acloseba recently told reporters.

The city has just hosted the Cebu City Inter-Collegiate Invitational Tournament that featured Cesafi teams and squads from the Universities Athletic Association and National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Last month, the city also hosted an East Asia Super League match between the Meralco Bolts and the Macau Black Bears.(CCM)