CEBU - The inaugural season of Liga Pilipinas got an added boost with the entry of GenSan MP Warriors of boxing superstar Manny Pacquiao in the country’s newest Community-based league, league commisioner Noli Eala proudly announced yesterday.
“I just spoke to Manny Pacquiao. He has formally agreed to join Liga Pilipinas. Let us all welcome the GenSan MP Warriors to our growing Liga family,” said Eala in a text message disseminated to Cebu sportswriters.
This brings the total number of Liga member teams to 14, with the MP Warriors becoming the fourth squad from Mindanao after the Misamis Oriental Meteors, Pagadian Explorers, and Zamboanga Amores. Pacman’s MP Warriors are not new to commercial derby having joined the now defunct Mindanao Visayas Basketball Association (MVBA) for two years.
The Visayas cluster, on the other hand, is bannered by First Conference champion M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala Cebu Niños and the Iloilo Warriors.
The rest of the Liga field are dominated by Luzon teams that include Harbour Centre-Taguig Batang Global, Quezon Red Oilers, Lipa-Batangas Barakos, Trace-Laguna Stallions, Ilocos Sur, Smart-Pampanga Buddies, Baguio, and Tagaytay.
The Cebu Niños of legendary coach Raul “Yayoy” D. Alcoseba will host the opening of the Liga Pilipinas Second Conference on December 10 at the Cebu Coliseum.— EBV (THE FREEMAN)