2nd Trip Ko Phoenix Basketball Cup opens on Nov. 12

The future stars of basketball will seek to make their mark as the second season of Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup opens on Saturday, November 12 at the Davao City Recreation Center (formerly Almendras Gym).

The Phoenix Cup, presented and organized by Phoenix Petroleum Philippines, is the first and only non-school based tournament for the youth in Davao City. Players 13-15 years old will see action in the Cup. 

From 500 who tried out, only 90 made it to the final list. The six teams are led by professional coaches for Cyclomax Titan, Cyclomax 4T, Zoelo Extreme, Zoelo Diesel, Accelerate Vega, and Accelerate Supreme.

Games will be held for five Saturdays starting on November 12. Semi-finals will be on December 10 and 11, while the Finals will be on Dec. 18. Games will start at 8 am to 1 pm every Saturday.

The 1^st Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup wrapped up last August during the Kadayawan festival.

Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup Season 1 ends on a high note

The champions with officials that included Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas regional director Regino "Boy" Cua (3rd from left, standing).

1st runner-up team with Phoenix Petroleum officials led by corporate affairs manager Ben Sur.

Liga Dabaw vice-chairman Atty.Carpio awards the medals to the Mythical Five.

PBA player Peter June Simon (right), who now earns a monthly six-figure income, with  tournament MVP Klyde Batilo.

Liga Dabaw vice-chair Mans Carpio (extreme right) and Davao City asst. administrator Erwin Alparaque, who is also president of the City Hall Employees Sports Club (CHESC) join Phoenix officials.

The Davao City Recreation Center (formerly Almendras Gym) was packed with basketball fanatics as Phoenix Petroleum ended the first season of the Trip Mo Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup last August 28.

Team Cyclomax Titan emerged as champion with only a shot ahead against this season’s 1^st runner-up Accelerate Supreme. The score was 78-76. Teams Accelerate Vega and Zoelo Extreme landed on the third and fourth place.

Klyde Batilo of Cyclomax Titan was proclaimed as this season’s Most Valuable Player as his teammate Eric Patrick Dulay II, along with Accelerate Supreme’s Vernon Miguel Boneon and Jeuchrist Binoya, Accelerate Vega’s Rhaffy Torno and Zoelo Extreme’s Ralph San Miguel, were named the basketball cup’s Mythical Five.

The young basketball players received an additional treat when PBA player Peter June Simon of B-Meg Llamados helped award the winners. “I hope someday many Davaeños will enter the PBA,” PJ said in his inspirational message. He started his basketball career at the University of Mindanao where he studied. Later, he joined the Metropolitan Basketball Association and played under the Davao Eagles.

Phoenix Petroleum Philippines is set to bring a better basketball cup with the Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup Season 2. This time it will be played by 13 -15 year old players later this year.

The Trip Ko Phoenix Fuels Basketball Cup opened on July 2 with six teams.  Each team was composed of 15 players of age 16 and under, and mostly from public schools. It was organized in partnership with the city government of Davao and is sanctioned by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Region 11.

The basketball cup is part of Phoenix’s advocacy to promote sports. Phoenix Petroleum is a partner of the Philippine Basketball Association. The company also holds the Phoenix Run Series, which has been to Davao City, Compostela Valley, and Tagum City. Phoenix will also bring seven elite runners from Davao City to the Summit CamSur International Marathon on September 25, 2011 at the CamSur Watersports Complex (CWC).(pr)