Golf, basketball games add color to Iloilo festival

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

TOP golfers in the country are expected to visit Iloilo City on January 14-15 to vie in the 1st Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog Golf Tournament to be played at the country's oldest golf course.

Mabilog said the mayor's cup golf tournament is an additional color to the Dinagyang Festival, which is celebrated every January. The celebration will be highlighted on January 21-23.

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The tournament will see some 100 top-notched golfers playing at the Iloilo Golf and Country Club in Sta. Barbara, Iloilo.

The event will also feature a golf match between media practitioners in Iloilo and Bacolod.

Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) team of Powerade, meanwhile, will conduct an exhibition game against selected Iloilo basketeers on January 15 at the University of San Agustin covered gym.

Team supervisor Rudy Villaruz of Coca-cola-Powerade said Powerade top players Dennis Espino, Gary David and Jai Reyes, among others, will participate in the exhibition game.

They will be pitted against the Iloilo selection team, which will be reinforced by some PBA players from Metro Manila. The Iloilo Basketball League (IBL) is supervising the exhibition game with a press conference on January 13.

Mabilog said the Iloilo Dinagyang Festival, with highlights on the fourth week of January, is drawing participation of various sports organizations in the country to hold their games in Iloilo City during the festival month.

Aside from golf and basketball, also slated early morning of Sunday, January 16, is the 1st Iloilo Dinagyang International 5K Run and 30K (5K run/20K bike/5K run) Duathlon and Marathon to be participated by hundreds of local and foreign runners and athletes.

The event is under the auspices of the office of Vice Mayor Joe III Espinosa, chairman of the Iloilo City Sports Council. (LCP)