July is an exciting month for Pinoy
sports. With the country’s oldest collegiate association running its
eliminations, the premier basketball league commencing its 40th
season, the local football league nearing the climax of two tournaments and
three commercial volleyball leagues opening one after the other, sports fans
surely are not wanting for spectacles to watch.
Action starts July 1 with the
semifinals clash between the Alaska Aces and the Star Hotshots in the PBA
Governors’ Cup. Followed immediately the day after by the other match-up
between the San Miguel Beermen and the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters. Whichever
teams reach 3 wins first will get into the finals that will start on July 12, a
best-of-seven series that will determine the champion on July 26th,
at the latest.
Another PBA event to look forward to
is the Annual Awards on July 19, where June Mar Fajardo is gunning for a 2nd
straight MVP plum.
The entire month will also have the
continuation of the NCAA Season '91 Men’s Basketball eliminations. San Beda, JRU,
Perpetual and Letran all have booked a victory each, but for certain Mapua,
Lyceum, Arellano, St. Benilde, San Sebastian and EAC will be hot on their
tails.
The United Football League meanwhile
is on a week-long respite first week of July. Four straight days of UFL Cup
action will then begin July 9 with the round-of-16 knock-out stage with two
matches to be played each day. The 8 winners will thus qualify for the quarterfinals
slated on August 1 and 2.
Division 1 league action will resume
on July 15. Fourteen matches are scheduled for the month of July with
Ceres-LaSalle FC hoping to increase its 6-point lead for its quest for the
league title.
Volleyball will begin a very busy
season this month. It will start July 11 with the Shakey’s V-League Season 12
Collegiate Conference, where 12 teams are divided into 2 groups for the round
robin eliminations. La Salle have reneged on its comeback though, but the
line-up is still packed with Ateneo, NU, FEU, UST, UP, Arellano, San Sebastian,
La Salle-Dasmariñas and University
of Batangas among those listed. Although Alyssa Valdez and Nicole Tiamzon are
confirmed out, Jovelyn Gonzaga and Honey Royse Tubino are among those announced
as guest players.
The male counterpart Spikers’ Turf will have its
Collegiate Conference opening meanwhile on July 13. It will have a similar
tournament format as the V-League. Though strong contender UST is not
partipating, the league will still include Ateneo, NU, FEU, La Salle, UP, EAC,
St. Benilde, Mapua, UE or Letran, among others.
Philippine Superliga will add a different flavor
though with the staging of the first PSL Beach Volleyball Challenge Cup. It
will start July 18 with MOA Sands by the Bay as venue. It is targeting two
pairs from each of the PSL teams.
Sports fans may think this month is too much.
More can still be expected though, especially come August and even onwards.
(“,)
