The 7th Asian University Basketball Championship will be held from June 5-9 at the San Andres Sports Complex in Manila.
At stake in the prestigious AUBC tournament is the Prospero Pichay Cup, which is named in honor of the president of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP).
Korea’s Dankook University, the only foreign entry in the seven-team cast, will be arriving on June 4 in time for the start of the five-day competitions in cooperation with the City Government of Manila under Mayor Alfredo S. Lim and hosted by Manila Sports Council (MASCO) Chairman Niño Dela Cruz.
The Koreans will be welcomed by Pichay and legendary Korean basketball star Shin Dong Pa, who is the president of the Asian University Basketball Federation (AUBF) that has been recognized by the Asian University Sports Federation (AUSF) since 1998.
Other prominent officials invited to the Manila meet are AUBF Honorary Chairman Dr. Carl Menky Ching, who is the FIBA Honorary Life President; Indonesia’s Dr. Ekodjatmiko Sukarso, the former AUSF Secretary general and of Indonesia and the current AUBF Vice-President; Tisha Abundo, President of the National Capital Region Athletic Association (NCRAA); Prof. Robert Milton Calo, President of the Philippine Inter-School Colleges University Athletic Association (PISCUAA); and Dr. Godefredo Gallega, President of the Federation of School Sports Association of the Philippines (FESSAP).
In the first game of the tournament-opening doubleheader on June 5, host City College of Manila (CCM) will take on Korea’s Dankook University at 5:00 p.m. University of Luzon, the University Colleges Athletic Association of Pangasinan (UCAAP), will clash with Universal College (UC), the NCRAA and PISCUAA champion, in the main dish at 6:30 p.m.
Other teams taking part in the games are Polytechnic University of the Philippines (PUP), the reigning SCUAA champion; PRISAA National Champion -Western Visayas University Selection, the PRISAA national champion; Pampanga provincial champion’s Angeles University Foundation (AUF); and Philippine-Korea Friendship Games Champion’s San Sebastian College-Cavite.
Two other foreign teams declined an invitation to participate in the tournament due to swine flu epidemic. Wilson is the official basketball of the games.
Last year in Cebu City, China’s Hua Qiao University defeated Cebu’s University of the Visayas to capture the 6th AUBC crown. Cebu’s Southwestern University placed third and Korea’s Hanyang University settled for fourth place.
Shin Dong Pa and Congressman Prospero Pichay who is also the Chairman of Local Water Utilities Adminstration (LWUA) will jointly do the ceremonial toss to open the tournament organized by the BAP in cooperation with the Manila Sports Council (MASCO) under chair Niňo Dela Cruz. Technical Director is George Magsino and Tournament Commissioner is Gil “Boy” Reglo.
