HANMI Cup eyes late October start

Coordinator Lito “William” Espino is eyeing a late October start for the 3rd Annual HANMI Cup Inter-Hotel Basketball League.

The Aqua Resort Club restaurant supervisor said the kick-off date is an ideal one because it would mean that the league would probably end in January or February.

Espino said while a usual single-elimination basketball league takes three to four months to finish, the HANMI Cup is unique since organizers need to make room for tourist busy seasons.

In this case, December would pretty much be a month where only a handful of games will be played in the HANMI Cup, which is why Espino is looking at the championship series to start and end in late January or early February.

Espino said, so far, a total of seven teams have signified their interest in joining the competition.

They are led by defending champion Fiesta Resort and Spa-Saipan Grand Hotel, last year’s runner-up PIC, Hyatt Regency Saipan, Saipan World Resort, Hafadai Beach Hotel, Aquarius Beach Tower Hotel, and returning Palms Resort Saipan, the former Hotel Nikko Saipan. Inaugural champion Aqua Resort Club decided not to enter a team this year.

Like the previous two editions of the HANMI Cup Inter-Hotel Basketball League, the 2008-2009 season will be organized by the Northern Marianas Bartenders Association, where Espino is president.

For more information about the 3rd Annual HANMI Cup Inter-Hotel Basketball League, call Espino at 323-1135.

After Aqua Resort Club won in 2007, the HANMI Cup went through a rollercoaster season in its second year, which saw the combined Fiesta Resort and Spa and Saipan Grand Hotel team take home the title to the delight of its fans and employees.

Led by the high-scoring duo of Ryan Sanciangco and Elmer Esdrelon, the Asia Pacific Hotels, Inc. quintet defeated PIC in the winner-take-all finals last April, 87-72.

The game saw Fiesta-Grand draw 57 points from Sanciango and Esdrelon, while PIC was led by the 18 markers of Derrick Tudela.

On other side of the emotional spectrum, the 2007-2008 season witnessed the death of veteran cager Rick Alegre of Aqua Resort during an elimination game against Hyatt Regency Saipan.

The league was postponed for a week to allow players to mourn for Alegre, who won a number of most valuable player awards not to mention championships with his mother team, Samahang Ilokano at Pangasinense, in the United Filipino Organization’s yearly basketball leagues.