Liga invites ex-pros

Liga Pilipinas is inviting ex-pros to join the fledgling league’s inaugural season as coaches are looking for veterans to anchor their lineups.

Under Liga rules, a team is allowed to enlist two ex-pros but may go over the limit if they’re included in the maximum of eight homegrown players in a 14-man roster. The plan is to reduce the participation of ex-pros to just one per team next year to pave the way for the coming of a new generation of players.

Former PBA cagers Jun Limpot and Will Antonio are reportedly in the wish list of several coaches. Rumored to be in lineups are Zamboanga City ’s Peter Naron and Jay Mendoza, Cebu’s Stephen Padilla and Marlon Basco, Bacolod’s Francis Barcellano and Taguig’s Marvin Ortiguerra and Niño Marquez. Boyet Bautista and Erick Canlas are trying out for teams.

Liga president Noli Eala was in Cebu yesterday for the opening of the four-day preseason tournament involving Southern teams. He’ll be in Taguig today for the start of a similar four-day affair for Northern squads. The finals are set in Cebu on Tuesday and in Taguig the next day.

The league will be formally opened in Cebu on May 31 but no games are scheduled. Eala said he’s adopting the FIBA style of inaugurating a season by gathering team owners, officials and players to toast the new campaign. Games will begin on June 11.

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So far, Liga has confirmed teams in Misamis Oriental, Ilocos Sur, Pampanga, Taguig, Ozamis, Pagadian, Cebu, Bacolod, Zamboanga City, Laguna, Iloilo, Quezon, Baguio and Davao.

There is talk that at least four more teams will join the bandwagon. George Lorenzana of White Rock and the Gordon family are studying the possibility of forming a Subic squad. Gov. Jun Ynares is getting together a group for sponsors for a Rizal franchise. One major sponsor has already committed to participate. Cavite is close to organizing a team backed up by Bacchus energy drink. Mandaue is another city showing interest and the word is Jun Tan has already been named coach.

A tentative list of other coaches includes Taguig’s Jude Roque, Ilocos Sur’s Jun Da Jose, Quezon’s Oliver Bunyi, Laguna’s Nomar Isla of Emilio Aguinaldo College, Cebu’s Yayoy Alcoseba, Pampanga’s Aric del Rosario, Baguio’s Djalma Arnedo, Iloilo’s Jerry Jaranilla, Misamis Oriental’s Jun Noel and Bacolod’s Dennis Tumayan.

What gives Liga a solid foundation is the formidable backing of prominent individuals like Misamis Oriental Gov. Oscar Moreno, Ilocos Sur Gov. Deogracias Victor (D. V.) Savellano, Quezon Gov. Rafael Nantes, Pampanga Gov. Ed Panlilio and sports coordinator Gil Cortez, Taguig Mayor Freddie Tinga, Ozamis Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog, Pagadian Mayor Sammy Co, Baguio Mayor Peter Rey Bautista, Pagcor chairman Ephraim Genuino of Trace College (Laguna), Bacolod’s Tony Agustin of West Negros University, Robert Uy of Toyota Iloilo, Rolando and Junie Navarro of Zamboanga City, Cebu’s Michel Lhuillier of ML Kwarta Padala, PLDT chairman Manny Pangilinan (who’s supporting Pampanga) and Harbour Center’s Mikee Romero (who’s supporting Taguig).

Then, there’s the giant San Miguel Corp. sponsoring Liga as presentor.

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A few weeks ago, Liga held a two-day workshop in Tagaytay where representatives of 12 franchises convened for an orientation on league policies, rules, systems and competition formats. Eala said the encouraging note was the strong participation of provincial teams, both from the North and South. News of the successful workshop spread like wildfire and it wasn’t long after that Quezon and Baguio decided to put up teams.

Quezon is now about to sign up its private sector partner, a big energy conglomerate, while Baguio has finalized its owning consortium composed of PTPM Sports Co., Victory Liner and Sunbolt Sports Drink. Purefoods coach Ryan Gregorio and his brother Allan, who calls the shots for Burger King in the PBL, are helping out Arnedo in organizing a title contender.

“Slowly but surely, Liga is making its presence felt in the provinces,” said Eala. “It’s exciting to be a witness to the snowballing support for regional basketball all over the country. There is really a lot of pride and passion at stake in a concept like Liga.”

Liga’s “tour” or “circuit” concept and the “home and away” format are revolutionary ideas that provide a different and exciting dimension to the league.

Eala said Liga games will be aired on NBN-TV and hinted that another channel may be tapped to guarantee comprehensive coverage. A pool of 46 referees – 28 in the South and 18 in the North – has been assembled and will be supervised by technical committee head Perry Martinez, who previously served in the PBA with Eala.

Another innovation Eala said Liga will introduce is volunteerism in the provinces. “We’ll maximize the participation of local hosts,” he said. “We’ll tap volunteers for courtside reporting on TV, ushering, in-venue entertainment and others. Our goal is to involve the entire community in supporting its home team. That’s the formula that will assure a long and bright future for Liga.”