THE hardcourt action of the Cebu Zonals elimination for the 2008 National Students Basketball Championship is moved to Jan. 12 to give way to the request of some schools.
BAP-SBP Cebu director Lorenzo “Chao” Sy announced the postponement after he received requests from prospective participants to move the opening of the qualifying tournament three days later.
“The schools plead to postpone the opening because their players are not yet in shape since the holidays. I have to give in because it is what they want and I am just here to implement what they want,” Sy told Sun.Star Cebu yesterday.
The Cebu Zonals was originally scheduled to open this Wednesday, but instead Sy announced that there will be a meeting for participating teams this Friday (Jan. 11) at the La Fortuna Bakery Sto. Niño branch at 12 noon.
The postponement might also bring some good news to the schools.
Sy will seek the clearance from the national organizer—the Basketball Association of the Philippines to have four Cebu schools into the national tournament, which will be on Feb. 25 to March 5 here.
“I will have a meeting with (Prospero) Pichay (BAP president) this Thursday in Manila. He wanted me to fly there for the finalization of the NSBC championship. But I will be requesting him to give Cebu, since we are the host, four slot to the national finals,” Sy said.
If this request will be granted, Cesafi seven-time champion and 2007 National Collegiate Champions League finalist University of the Visayas Green Lancers will be awarded with one slot without going through the Zonal competition.
Sy earlier announced that Cebu would get three slots, which will go to the top three finishers. But if the BAP national leadership will grant his request, Cebu will see four schools playing for the national title at home.
The event will be from Jan. 12 to 14, 16, 19 and the finals on Jan. 20. (RCM)
