Fans are in for more fun and exciting action when the Pilipinas Super League Pro Division- Second Conference Dumper Cup presented by Dumper party-list and Winzer kicks off on Nov. 23 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.
“When we started the first conference, we held it in Zamboanga and was a bubble tournament. The teams stayed there for almost two months. This time around, medyo maluwag na and we will do it here in Luzon so the games will be moving from different places,” said PSL President Rocky Chan during league’s launch Friday at the Gloria Maris Shark’s Fin Restaurant in San Juan.
“Mas maganda at mas malaki (second conference), iyong teams ay mas malalakas at nagulat nga kami ni Commissioner Marc Pingris sa mga teams na pinuntahan namin, nakakuha sila ng quality players,” added Vice President Ray Alao.
A John Wilson-led defending champion Davao Occidental and boosted by the presence of Kyt Jimenez and a star-studded Boracay quintet to be spearheaded by former PBA MVP Jayjay Helterbrand and actor Gerald Anderson banner the tough 14-team field in the tilt backed by Wcube Solutions Inc., Advon, with PBA and Gilas Pilipinas great Marc Pingris serving as Commissioner.
Koponan Lakan, Manila Citystars, Bicol Spicy Oragon, Batang Kankaloo, Nueva Ecija Slashers, Cagayan De Oro-PSP, Quezon City Beacons, Sta. Rosa City Lions, ARS Warriors, Muntinlupa, Pampanga Royce, and Pampanga Giant Lanterns are also out to prove their worth in the tournament.
Joining Chan, Alao, and Pingris in the press conference was operations head Leo Isaac.
PSL CEO and Santa Maria, Davao Occidental Mayor Claude Benjamin “Dinko” Bautista II said the league is out to reprise, if not, surpass its initial success.
“I’m elated for the upcoming season, starting this November 23. We have a great group of people running the league, making sure everything is on top, from the executives all the way through the referees and barkers,” Bautista said. “But what I’m most excited about is the level of competition. This season, fans can expect the competition to be much tougher this time around.”
“From star-studded Boracay and Davao, to the grittier teams of Bicol and Pampanga, better competition brings out better basketball, and all I can say about better basketball is that the fans would enjoy even more.”
Tournament format will feature a single-round elimination format, with the top four teams gaining twice-to-beat incentives in the quarterfinals. The crossover semifinals will be best-of-three tiffs.
The Big Dance will be a race-to-two series, with the league expecting to wind up at the end of February next year.
