Liga Manila comes of age

What was initially conceived to be a “barkada” recreational basketball league in October 2012 has metamorphosed into a growing hoops haven with tournaments in four divisions – three stipulating height limits – twice a year and a professional ambiance that is a unique come-on for ballers living the dream of a hardcourt hero.

It’s called Liga Manila and commissioner Vince Garcia, a 31-year-old basketball aficionado, said the concept is to provide a “leveled-up feel” and an avenue to stay fit by playing the game Filipinos love with a passion. “Liga Manila was created to cater to village ballers and access a venue where games can be documented with videos, photos and full stats,” said Garcia, a University of Asia and Pacific graduate. “We believe that by providing these services, we can immortalize a player’s performance, capture an awesome moment or play on the court like buzzer beaters and spectacular plays for our followers and their friends to witness. We know that not everyone has the chance to play in the UAAP, NCAA, PBA D-League and PBA so here’s an exciting alternative.”

Liga Manila got off the ground with eight teams. Since the inaugural tournament four years ago, the league has organized nine major competitions. Last season, it brought in 55 teams and over 700 players in three divisions – Starters, All-Stars and Superstars. Garcia said Liga Manila continues to evolve and improve. Once, there was a “Young Guns” division with an age limit of 22. And at the start, no PBA or D-League veteran could play. But as word spread of Liga Manila’s no-nonsense approach, Garcia said doors were flung open to welcome ballers of all ages. This season, Liga Manila will start a women’s division. Two tournaments are scheduled with the first to start April 2 and end June 20 and the next to begin in September and finish in December. The league has also included a 3-Point Shootout and All-Star Game in the calendar.

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The Starter division has a height limit of six feet and no former college player is allowed to enlist. The All-Stars division has a height limit of 6-3 with former college players permitted to join. The Superstars division has a height limit of 6-4 with PBA, D-League and college veterans allowed to play. There will be no restrictions whatsoever in the women’s division.

“We’re all about fun and excitement,” said Garcia. “We put the spotlight on our players. We’re the first recreational league to offer this full set-up. We see to it that teams enjoy a near ‘professional’ experience by holding games in first-class venues with a public address announcer on court. We produce game highlights for each game, Player of the Game images, the top 10 Plays of the Week hosted by Lia Cruz and Finals videos. We give Player of the Week and MVP awards and compile complete statistics. Our videos are shot and edited in a way to accentuate emotion and intensity. We provide stats in nine categories with Carlo Roxas making sure numbers are accurate, easy to follow and presented professionally. We’re the only recreational league today with all these features and we continue to improve and add to our services for our players benefit.”

This season, Liga Manila games will be held at the Reyes Gym and the Gold’s Gym on Sheridan. To participate, teams pay a fee of P19,900 for a lineup of 15 to 20 players. Former PBA referee of the year Ogie Bernarte, who blew the whistle in the pros for over 10 years, is in charge of the officiating pool. Garcia said the pool consisted of nine referees last season. “We try to maintain a high level of consistent officiating and we also suspend referees like in the PBA,” said Garcia. “We apply strictly FIBA rules.”

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Among the PBA veterans who’ve played in Liga Manila are J. R. Aquino, Cholo Villanueva, Warren Ybanez and Bernzon Franco. The list of celebrity players includes Charles Tiu, Gerald Anderson, Vhong Navarro, Zanjoe Marudo, Rayver Cruz and Gelo Serrano. PBA star Arwind Santos and Vice Ganda have shown up to watch games.

Garcia, whose primary business is in the gaming and entertainment industry for over seven years, said Liga Manila wouldn’t be where it is now without co-organizer Steve del Rosario. A multi-media expert, Del Rosario has taken film classes in the US and produces Liga Manila’s videos that are accessible in social media.

“We tape each game and raw footage is available for a fee,” said Garcia. “We’ve done live streaming of games but to sustain it, we need sponsors. Our games are played on weekends, sometimes from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m., and we do a max of eight games for each team from five in the eliminations up to the Finals. We make sure that in a division, the teams are balanced in terms of competitive level. We know the names of the players on the court so the PA announcer can mention their full names when they score a basket, make an assist or whatever. This adds to the excitement in a game. We reward outstanding players with prizes from sponsors based on performance. We are currently looking for media partners to help us in promoting the league, our sponsors and partners.”

Liga Manila’s 10th tournament will unravel with four divisions on April 2. Interested players may contact Garcia or Del Rosario at 0998-981-8343 or 0918-985-3133 or via email at [email protected].