HOTELS and lodging houses are fully booked. Local transport and restaurant businesses are also enjoying the perks, riding high on Cagayan de Oro’s hosting of the first-ever international basketball tournament here from July 5 to 11.
“It’s not just promoting sports but tourism as well. The New York teams alone occupy at least 40 rooms ilang gi-occupy sa Lux hotel. Ang VIP, New Dawn, and even the lodging houses puno-puno na sab ang uban natong bisita ga rent na lang sa mga pribadong panimalay kay ubay-ubay sila dinhi karon,” shared Barangay Carmen chairman Joaquin Raineir Uy, in co-hosting the week-long Sinag Liga Asya's Junior World Showcase in Mindanao with his father, Mayor Rolando Uy, and the local government unit of Cagayan de Oro.
Barangay Carmen also contributed by providing at least three coaster or minibus units to transport visitors to the playing venues, particularly the University of Science and Technology of Southern Philippines (USTP) Gymnasium and the Xavier University High School's uptown gym.
A free-for-all on-court fight between the host Carmen Eco Warriors and their 21-under Cebuano counterparts from the Cebu RAD team spoiled the opening day's action at the USTP gym.
But this far outweighs the benefits the City of Gold could generate from the Sinag hoopfest that drew participants from Luzon, Visayas, and Mindanao, and more than half from a total of 36 teams coming from across the globe.
“For the families of the Fil-Am athletes from the US and the players and coaching staff from Asian countries nga adunay relatives sa Pilipinas, this basketball event also serves as sort of reunion cum family bonding maong daghan kaayo atong bisita sa syudad,” further said the younger Uy in a casual talk with this writer, alongside basketball legend and city sports consultant Hermogenes Anciado.
For former PBA icon Rodesendo ‘Roehl’ Gomez, who calls the shot for New York's 13-under squad, setting foot anew in Cagayan de Oro long after his retirement from the professional league brings back happy memories.
“Lingaw kaayo ko sa ambiance sa Cagayan de Oro kay niadtong sa college pa ko sa Cebu, sige ko ma-hire as import in a commercial game dire at the old Xavier University gym,” said the six-foot-11 Gomez.
The nine-time PBA champion Gomez, with the Purefoods team from Cebu Central Colleges, remembered the Pabillore siblings, Mario and his late younger brother JP, among the tough court rivals then in the Cagayan de Oro league.
“They have excellent footwork and very brave athletes too in bruising games nakatilaw pud ko sa ila,” Gomez recalled with laughter.
There will be five to six games simultaneously played every day in the different venues for the under-19, under-17, under-15, and under-13 age categories.
Apart from the ever jolly Gomez in the company of fellow New York coaches Elmer Remon, Tots Villegas and Birdie Reyes, local hoop fans will also get to see around the venues some erstwhile PBA greats who helped, in some other ways, in running the show such as the seven-foot-one giant EJ Feihl, Leo Isaac, Rodney Santos and Pido Jarencio.
