Pacquiao vs. Cebu

MANNY Pacquiao cleared his busy schedule to give way to a “budding basketball career” as he will see action in the opening week of the 2009 Liga Pilipinas Conference 3 at the New Cebu Coliseum.

The boxing superstar will lead the MP Gensan Warriors, a team he owns and manages, in the Aug. 19 to 23 event.

He will be playing against host team M. Lhuillier Kwarta Padala -Cebu Niños, Quezon Red Oilers and the Zamboanga Amores in a four-day basketball competition.

“Manny will play the entire tournament. And it was him who requested that the MP Warriors be scheduled to play in Cebu because he wanted to be here and play basketball,” said M. Lhuillier coach and Cebu City Councilor Raul “Yayoy” Alcoseba.

The Warriors will open the tournament against the Zamboanga Amores in the 5 p.m. game on Aug. 19.

The match will be followed by the Niños and Red Oilers game.

Cebu will face Pacquiao’s team on Aug. 21

Last January, the Warriors hosted the opening of the Second Conference and Pacquiao also saw action in the opener against the Trace Laguna Stallions.

Pacquiao, who has also joined a pro billiard tournament, played for 11 minutes. He scored two points, grabbed two rebounds and dished out one assist.

He was also 0-of-4 from the three point range and 1-of-7 at the 2-point field.

Cebu’s hosting of the Conference 3 will also be under the new format of the Liga Pilipinas.

Developmental league

All 10 teams will play in the usual pocket tournaments to determine the standings.

The top two teams will automatically qualify to the “Super Leg Final Round,” which will involve five teams playing a single round robin format.

After the Super Leg Final Round, the lowest-ranked team will be eliminated and the top four will play a knockout crossover match.

The winners will vie for the conference title.

Meanwhile, Alcoseba said that the proposed partnership of the Liga Pilipinas and the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) for a developmental league is now on the drawing board and will be finalized soon.