Dubai: Filipino senator and boxing legend Manny Pacquiao has unveiled initial plans for starting an international basketball league involving nations across the world.
Egged on by the success of his Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) that has transformed from a 10-team competition in its inaugural year in 2017 to its current 31-side status, Pacquiao now has ambitions for a countries-based competition that would involve overseas Filipinos.
“I am planning for an MPBL international league,” Pacquiao told media at the DSC headquarters on Thursday.
“It will be one country, one team starting in the Philippines. We know the Filipinos really love their basketball, but basketball doesn’t like them as the game involves tall people. And yet, it will be a wonderful opportunity for these players to show their talent,” he added.
Dunstan Rozairo, Chairman, DJMC Events, the main organisers of this weekend’s basketball, admitted that there can be very few sporting events as big as this one. “Hosting of this event was being discussed for quite some time now. We have brought in teams from the Philippines and this will be the one of the biggest here,” Rozairo said.
