Wednesday, October 24, 2007 Partners Cup resumes this December
AFTER its successful debut, the Partners Cup basketball tournament will be back on course this December.
The competition, which introduces corporate sponsors into the league, had given the basketball teams an avenue for competition during a long lull after the regular season.
Since the corporate backers partners up with a Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi)-member school, the schools won’t be burdened financially when they field teams in the event.
The corporate partners will be the ones spending for the uniforms and game allowances for the teams.
“We do not want the players to be stagnant so for them to continue playing, we will continue the Partners Cup so that they will not be rusty with the long rest period,” said Cesafi commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy.
Any player, as long as they are enrolled in the second semester, can take part in the competition unlike in the Cesafi where they have to pass academic requirements.
Meanwhile, for the second staging of the Partners Cup, the Cesafi will be applying changes where the bottom four teams of the recently-concluded season will be allowed to import the services of their former varsity players.
“We want the games to be more competitive that’s why we will allow them to get reinforcements,” Tiukinhoy said.
The reinforcements should not be older than 25 years old.
The bottom four teams are Don Bosco College, Cebu Institute of Technology, University of Southern Philippines Foundation and University of Cebu. Also, they will be changing the game format.
“In the Cesafi, after the round robin, the quarterfinal round pits the No. 1 team with No. 8. This is very predictable and we want to avoid this so that people will continue to watch us,” Tiukinhoy added.
As of the moment, the organizers, which had tapped two television stations to cover the event, are completing their merchandizing package for the sponsors. It will be inviting the same companies, which took part in the first edition: CDO, Virginia Foods, Metro Gaisano, Landmaster, Hapee, Guardo and Skygo. (MCB)
