Dubai: The new season of the Filipino Basketball League kicked off yesterday in a new format and with a new sponsor.
Organiser Nestor De Guzman, one of a team of 20 who administrate the league, said the number of teams in the league had been cut down from 21 to 12 to create a more exciting competition.
With the new Millionaire Cup, sponsored by Postcard Millionaire, the future of the league seems secure.
Defending champions Federal Exchange - Iremit are expected to hold on to their good form from last season, but De Guzman said they would face stiff competition from Mediacom - Homera, Café Rustica and Infinite Café-Ratzky.
"In past leagues, there had been up to 21 teams," said De Guzman at Dubai Sports Club for Special Needs in Al Qusais where the league will be based.
"But this year, we are keeping the numbers lower and hoping the games will be closer. The new format means that all the teams will play each other and it's possible for the top of the league to be beaten by the bottom of the league."
"It's important for us," said De Guzman. "We get more teams applying than we can accommodate in the league because basketball is such a popular sport.
"This league is called 'Class B' because we have non-professional players, but we are also in negotiations with Postcard Millionaire for a summer league which could include professional players from overseas."
