AN EXHIBITION basketball game is set to take place in Zamboanga City as the locally owned Zamboanga Valientes is playing against the visiting American team known as the Crossfire Ministry.
The exhibition basketball game will be held at 8:30 p.m. on Sunday evening, August 10, at the gymnasium of the Southern City Colleges in Divisoria village.
Second District Councilor Rolando “Junie” Navarro Jr., team owner of Zamboanga Valientes, said he is fielding an all-Filipino lineup, particularly Zamboangueños.
“This exhibition game is an opportunity for our Zamboangueño basketball players to showcase their talents,” Navarro said Friday, August 8.
“We will see as to what level we are now as a basketball team. I will not field imports players on Sunday since I want the majority of the Zamboangueño team members to have the experience playing against the Americans,” he added.
Pastor Berlie Yap, the local coordinator, said the Crossfire Ministry is a US-based sports evangelistic ministry that travels around the world sharing the message of Hope through the game of hoops.
Yap said that over the past decade, the team of the Crossfire Ministry has been visiting the Philippines regularly.
“This exhibition basketball game is to build partnerships and friendships,” Yap said.
Navarro said they scheduled the game to start at 8:30 p.m. to give ample time to local basketball fans to also watch the exhibition game between the team of Mayor Khymer Olaso and the Philippine Basketball Association Legends, which will also be held on Sunday evening.
The event is sponsored by B-Steel Sports in collaboration with the city government of Zamboanga and Olaso.
The exhibition game that will be held at Mayor Vitaliano Agan Coliseum in Tetuan village is for the benefit of children in conflict with the law and women crisis center. (SunStar Zamboanga)