Tuburan to host first ever inter-collegiate cage wars

CEBU, Philippines — The municipality of Tuburan

in northwest Cebu will be hosting an inter-collegiate basketball tournament for the first time.

Set on May 24 to June 1 at the Tuburan covered court, the 1st Mayor Aljun Diamante Inter-Collegiate Basketball Tournament features six teams from the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) that are divided into two groups.

Reigning CESAFI Grand Slam champions University of the Visayas (UV) Green Lancers are in Bracket A together with the University of Southern Philippines Foundation (USPF) Panthers and the Benedicto College (BC) Cheetahs.

The University of Cebu (UC) Webmasters, University of San Jose-Recoletos (USJ-) Jaguars, and the newly-crowned State Colleges and Universities Athletic Association (SCUAA) national titleholders  University of the Philippines (UP) Cebu Fighting Maroons will slug it out in Bracket B.

They will play a single round robin in the elimination, with the Top 2 teams per bracket advancing to the crossover semifinals. The winners will clash for the covered crown in a sudden-death match.

Tuburan Councilor Wilfredo Diamante, the lead organizer of the historic event, said a total of P360,000 in cash prize is at stake in the week-long cage wars that is part of their annual  Siglakas  sportsfest.

The champion will take home P120,000 while the second to fourth placers will pocket P80,000, P60,000, and P40,000 respectively. No one will go home empty-handed as the eliminated teams will receive a consolation of P15,000 each.