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A break for Cebu
Sunday, August 1, 2010
By Marian C. Baring
THE Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) Championship Games promised to give the provincial teams better chances to pull off better finishes in the national games and changed its format.
Before, the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. champion was the only team that gets a slot in the Sweet 16. This time, the runner-up will also be given an automatic entry.
“Before, first and second rounds pa lang, talo na ang Cebu, so we thought, why not give Cebu two slots,” said chairman Rey Gamboa.
The third and fourth placers also get a chance to strut their stuff in the national level but they need to go through the zonals.
The top teams from the other leagues in the Visayas will play in their zonals, while another one will be held for the Mindanao teams. The winners from the two zonals, along with the third and fourth placers from Cesafi, will battle it out in the Southern Island Collegiate Championship on Nov. 12 at the Cebu Coliseum. The top two will advance to the Sweet 16 finals.
Official Joe Lipa said while the eight-year-old league has always been dominated by Manila teams, UV has had the most number of appearances in the tournament with seven.
The games will be televised over ABS-CBN and Gamboa said it is a good way to give the schools national exposure. Aside from this, he added they want the provincial teams to get a chance to compete outside their area.
Prizes
“We want them to have something to look forward to after their mother leagues are through. Before, after their leagues are done, their collegiate season is also over.
This time, they have the PCCL to look forward to. And since this is not an invitational event, they really have to work hard to get into the top 16,” he said.
Aside from the bragging rights, the winning school in the national finals will get P500,000 worth of athletic items or scholarship grants. The next three placers will get P200,000, P100,000 and P50,000, respectively.
The members of the winning team will also get athletic items, gift certificates or cash worth P400,000, P200,000, P100,000 and P50,000.
There will also be special awards like the MVP, mythical five, best coach and best performing referee.
Published in the Sun.Star Cebu newspaper on August 2, 2010.
http://www.collegiatechampionsleague.net/