Tiu boosts Mighty Sports’ Merlion Cup bid in Singapore

MANILA, Philippines - Mighty Sports further beefed up for its Merlion Cup campaign as it tapped Rain or Shine guard Chris Tiu who is expected to see action in the semifinal round of the revival of the event in Singapore.

Getting the green light from ROS owners Raymund Yu and Terry Que after the Painters missed playoffs of the ongoing PBA Governors’ Cup, Tiu hopes to help younger brother Charles win his first international trophy as a coach. 

The Merlion Cup also serves as a reunion of sorts for the former deadly troika of Xavier School – Tiu, TY Tang and Joseph Yeo – who played together since their high school years.

The Philippine squad beat the tough Seoul Samsung Thunders, 92-87, Wednesday night at the OCBC Arena behind imports Alford Thornton, Dewarick Spencer and Hamady N’Dyiaye.

The team was playing the Westports Malaysia Dragons last night.

A victory over the Dragons will send Mighty Sports to the semifinals of the Merlion Cup, which is making a comeback after a 20-year hiatus under the aegis of the Basketball Association of Singapore. 

Mighty Sports, backed by HC Technology Pte. Ltd., Huishi International Group Co. Ltd., Cebuana Lhuillier and Scratch It, is hoping to win back-to-back international titles after its historic win in the William Jones Cup tournament in Taiwan last July.

Aside from its imports, Mighty Sports enlisted former Gilas center Marcus Douthit, a naturalized Filipino, to bolster its ranks, along with PBA veteran Joseph Yeo, ex-pro TY Tang, former collegiate standouts Kiefer Ravena, Gelo Alolino, and Edrick Ferrer, Gabriel and Raphael Banal and Frank Golla.

They are backed by Fil-Canadian Matthew Wright, and Fil-Americans Jason Brickman and Jason Deutchman.