Another regional basketball league in the South is ready to join the professional ranks and is set to tip off next month.
Rocky Chan and Cebuano sportsman Chelito Caro, the men behind the success of VisMin Cup, have joined forces with 10 well-known sports personalities in Mindanao and Local Government Units, to boost the inaugural season of Pilipinas Super League.
Leading the 10 pioneering teams is one-time Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League champion Davao Occidental Dumper Tigers–Cocolife.
The Tigers are made up of a powerhouse roster of several ex-pros, led by MPBL MVP John Wilson, Bonbon Custodio, Rob Celiz, Keith Agovida,
Paulo Hubalde and Cebuano standout Emman Calo.
“The Davao Occidental Dumper Tigers-Cocolife, owned by congresswoman Claudine Bautista-Lim, governor Claude Bautista and Dinko Bautista, are joining Pilipinas Super League,” said Chan, the league’s president.
“We have the same concept with the VisMin Cup as we cater to homegrown players. Although open pa rin sa mga Luzon players, ang pagkakaiba ng PSL ay mayroon kaming under-21 division para mabigyan din ng pagkakataon ang sports development program,” added Chan.
Aside from the Davao Tigers, also confirmed to participate in the league tentatively set in the second week of February are MPBL Invitational champion Basilan BRT, Cagayan Valley Golden Eagles, Cagayan De Oro, Kapatagan, Lanao Del Norte, Roxas, Zamboanga del Norte, Pagadian, Lapu Lapu, Cebu, Boracay and Zamboanga Del Sur.
“During our last meeting, the 10 teams have signified their intention 100%. Inihahanda na namin ang iba pang kailangang dokumento, specially ‘yung application namin sa Games and Amusements Board to professionalize ‘yung liga at mabigyan ng sanction,” said Chan.
Caro and Chan have already resigned their VisMin posts to focus all their attention and resources in getting the PSL off the ground.
The league is backed by Dumper Partylist, Cocolife, Phenom sportswear, MALYAB, Tri Energy Corp. and Zooey, distributed by Blue Plastic Mktg.
“Alam naman natin na very challenging ‘yung manpower and resources to put up a regional league, kaya buong puso kaming nagpapasalamat sa tiwala na ibinigay sa amin ng mga sponsors,” said Chan.
According to Caro, the league commissioner, the PSL will surely be an exciting regional league that will have three conferences, the inaugural conference of which is being planned to be held in Cebu City.
“After the first conference, we will have a second one which will allow teams to tap a foreign player. We have a lot of skilled and talented foreign players who have been rendered jobless since the pandemic broke out. Hopefully, this will be the opportunity they have been waiting for,” said Caro.
“It’s (PSL) still a pro league, but we also cater to amateur players because we have an Under-21 tournament. We have the same concept (as that of the Super Cup). The only difference is that we have three conferences in one season this time. We have one conference that is open to Luzon teams as we need to expand our league and make it big,” he added.