Davao City – Some P240,000 total cash prize will be at stake when the much-anticipated 2019 Kadayawan Invitational basketball tournament tips off this August 11 to 14 at the Davao City Recreation Center (Almendras gym).
The annual basketball spectacle presented by the City Government of Davao, the Royal Mandaya Hotel, Matina Enclaves and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Region XI chapter is definitely one of the most featured sporting activity of the Kadayawan Festival.
This year’s four team cast will be teams from the fabled UAAP (Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines) headed by last year’s Kadayawan hoop champion De La Salle University Green Archers and the National University Bulldogs and the CESAFI (Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Incorporated) having the University of the Visayas Green Lancers and the Southwestern University Phinma Cobras.
Teams will play in a single round robin elimination with the top two teams on to the winner-take-all finals. Lower seeded teams will play for third.
This year’s champion team will be receiving P100,000 while the first runner-up will get P60,000. The second and third runners-up will bring home P40,000 and P30,000, respectively.
The best coach and most valuable player (MVP) of the tournament will be receiving P5,000 each.
The opening ceremonies will be at 4:30 p.m. on August 11 following the coaches briefing at 12 noon to be held at the Royal Mandaya Hotel.
“The SBP will have one Manila-based referee during the tournament with two locals joining him,” said tournament commissioner Miguel Solitaria.
Mayor Inday Sara Duterte-Carpio and Vice Mayor Sebastian Duterte, Congressman Pulong Duterte along with SBP-XI regional director Glen Escandor, SBP regional operations head Ronnel Leuterio and SBP regional commissioner Atty. Francis Calatrava are expected to grace the opening rites highlighting the traditional ceremonial tip off.
“It will be free to the public,” Solitaria added.
