National Stars Shine at ISEMS Battle of the Champions Opening

By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña

What a day that was as a die-hard basketball fan.

The opportunity to witness Filipino basketball superstars outside Region VI was not only a delightful experience, but that was something that you could keep as a core memory in your hoops diary forever.

During the opening ceremony of the Battle of the Champions I basketball tournament organized by the Ilonggo Sports and Events Management Services (ISEMS), a mix of young and veteran hoop stars captivated the attention of the whole Iloilo.

From the Pototan-based team Oking Merchandise, Durant-esque import Kent Montalvo of the Mav’s Phenomenal squad drew loud oohs and aahs with his athleticism and elite shot-making ability.

Tall, long, and versatile, Montalvo gave his all to team Oking, but standing their way in their debut game were the disciplined hoopers from Davao, team CM Farm basketball.

Although their most-sought star Genmar Bragais was still not present in their first game, the Ilonggos finally had the chance to see Jaybie Mantilla play in person, one of the best point guards that the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, Inc. (CESAFI) produced.

Backstopping Mantilla during their close win over Team Oking were Jancork Cabahug, EJ Agbong, Bon Bulac, and Gin Mejares, also part of the core squad of Team CM Farm.

In the next game, a bunch of superstar imports from Negros boosted team Double 8 in their dub over Qualitech, spearheaded by Jafet Claridad, Alfred Sedillo, Jonathan Gantalao, and Jason Celiz.

The team’s paint presence is anchored by one of the most in-demand imports playing in the MPBL, Jeckster Apinan, who has rendered his services to several Iloilo-based teams including DPWH during the Iloilo Charter Day Open.

Meanwhile, team Qualitech lacked imports from outside the Region but they are still a talented team, led by some of the finest local commercial players playing in Iloilo.

Carrying the offensive torch for Qualitech is Kevin Barranco, the superstar guard from the Central Philippine University (CPU), and is playing alongside Jeffrey Espinosa, Mark Ceniza, Marvin Cuerbo, Joeben Arcenio, and Victor Demadara.

In the last game of the opening’s triple-header, a nip-and-tuck affair between Tacloban-based team Khalifa and the star-studded RKF Construction wrapped up the grand opening game day.

The last game truly lived up to the expectations of the viewers as neither team took full control of the ball game, not until RKF made a run in the final two minutes of the ball game and closed out the action-packed thriller with a clutch outing.

UAAP star Reinhard Jumamoy, who is currently playing for the National University (NU) Bulldogs, was tapped as one of the imports of team RKF.

It was an experience watching him in person. It was like Picasso weaving his magic inside the basketball court. A floor general with a high IQ equipped with insane ball control and the ability to create for his teammates.

Not only Jumamoy rocked the hardwood but RKF also brought out former NU swingman Patrick Yu, Hua Siong living legend Jhon Rey Sumido, and MPBL star Jaypee Belencion.

On the other hand, despite the 10-man rotation of team Khalifa, they were able to keep the game close, and it was all because of their offensive prowess led by Mav’s Phenomenal shooter Kent Sanchez.

Sanchez was draining three-pointers from the parking lot that kept Khalifa within striking distance, alongside the scoring production of their mainstays, Kobe Caballero and Jan Salazar.

Despite the heavy offensive production from the trio, the stacked Team RKF squad managed to find a way to score cold-blooded shots en route to a convincing win.

What a day. Witnessing these talented, skilled, and polished players playing in Iloilo is something to be proud of. Kudos, ISEMS! We are excited for more hoops action!