Cebu Friendship Cup opens today

One of the strongest contenders in the basketball event of the University Athletics Association of the Philippines (UAAP), the De La Salle Zobel Santiago Junior Green Archers and Cebu’s very own Sacred Heart School-Ateneo de Cebu (SHS-AdC) Magis Eagles will renew their rivalry when they tangle in the “Cebu Friendship Cup 2013” of the Character Excellence Basketball Unlimited and the Cebu Elite Basketball League.
The event will kick off today at the University of San Carlos-North Campus gymnasium.
But first, both teams has to get rid of the pesky CIT-U Baby Wildcats for today’s opening games where both teams are scheduled to take on CIT in bracket A at 4 p.m.
Organized by CEBU and CEBL, the friendly meet aims to become an important tune-up tournament for both local and visiting teams.
The four-day hoopfest was officially launched yesterday attended by organizer Chino Uy and technical head Rey Canete at the USC-NC Auditorium along with the visiting DLSZ Junior Green Archers headed by coach Boris Aldeguer.
Aside from CIT-U and SHS-AdC, Cebu-based teams competing in the friendly meet are the host USC Baby Warriors, University of the Visayas (UV) Baby Lancers and the University of San Jose-Recoletos Baby Jaguars.
DLSZ will face the Wildcats in the opening game at 4 p.m. followed by the USC-USJR showdown capped off by the Wildcats-Magis Eagles encounter.
“We are very thankful to the organizers for inviting us over here in Cebu. This is actually our first time playing outside Manila and we are looking forward to a great competition against Cebu’s best schools in this friendly event. This is surely a very great experience for a young team like us,” said Aldeguer. DLSZ will compete in the UAAP whose 2013 season opens at the end of the month.
Meanwhile, Magis Eagles head coach Sai Bacalso said he expects a tough battle against their bitter rivals, but on the lighter side, admitted that their rivalry against the Green Archers is expected to bring more excitement and intensity in the friendly event.
“We want to live up to everyone’s expectations so we will put up a good fight because we are also preparing for the upcoming CESAFI season,” said Bacalso who recently steered his team to the gold medal in the 2013 Palarong Pambansa in Dumaguete City last May.