TRMH-VMO guns for 3rd straight title

THE Royal Mandaya Hotel-Vice Mayor's Office (TRMH-VMO) seeks to defend its crown in the Kadayawan this August and make it three straight championship.

Fresh from its triumphant campaign in the Mayor Inday Sara and Vice Mayor Rody Duterte 76th Araw ng Dabaw basketball tournament, TRMH-VMO is now training its sights on the Kadayawan competition which it ruled last year.

After winning two straight crowns, the team of businessman/sportsman Glenn Escandor looks poised to dominate local basketball.

"We will definitely try to defend out title in the Kadayawan and for a third straight title," said Jek-Jek Melendres, TRMH-VMO team consultant.

TRMH-VMO assembled a formidable line-up for the Araw tournament that included former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) players and plans to keep most of them for the coming tournament.

"We will try to keep the core of our champion team and maybe add two to three players who will address our weak spot as some of the players from our current line-up won't be available for August," Melendres said.

Melendres specifically cited Cedric Happi, their import for the Araw tournament but whose services won't be available for their title-retention bid in August because of the NCAA season.

But, most of the players who saw action for TRMH-VMO like tournament MVP Hercules Tangkay, Francis Adriano, Mark Andaya and JR Gerilla are expected to don the team's colors again five months from now.

TRMH-VMO, under head coach Miggy Solitaria, showed dominating form in winning the Araw championship, although it has to dig deep into its bag of tricks before prevailing in the titular showdown as Montana forced a five-minute extension before disintegrating down the stretch.

Escandor joined the players and the rest of the coaching staff in the victory party at the Pasag Grill of The Roral Mandaya Hotel Friday and was ecstatic with the victory.

"It was a sweet championship. I wasn't around when the team won the crown last August. This time, I really feel the excitement of the game, especially during those anxious moments where the outcome of the game could have gone either way," Escandor said.

Other players of TRMH-VMO include Ramsey Williams, Lou Gatumbato, Julius Pasculado, Edward Asuncion, Chris Calaguio, Mark Magsumbol, Hafer Mondragon, Mark Jeffries and Ervin Sotto.