ILOILO City – UAAP Season 84 men’s basketball champions University of the Philippines Fighting Maroons is set to return in Iloilo for a series of exhibition matches next month.
According to Gametime Sports founder Rodolfo Go Villaruz, the Fighting Maroons will play two friendly games on July 30 and 31 at the venue that is still being finalized.
“UP Fighting Maroons will be playing two exhibition matches here but we are still finalizing who they will face and at what venues will it be held,” Villaruz told Panay News.
“We will be announcing the final details, including the venue and the ticketing, on Gametime Sports Facebook matches in the coming days,” the Ilonggo sportsman added.
Expected to lead the way for the Fighting Maroons is Iloilo City-native guard Gerry Austin Abadiano as well as Silay City, Negros Occidental-native Harold Alarcon.
Abadiano was a former standout of St. Robert’s International Academy Panda Rockets before being recruited to Manila, while Alarcon was a member of Bacolod Tay Tung High School Thunderbolts.
“This will be great opportunity for the Ilonggos to see Gerry play again, this time as a member of the UP Fighting Maroons,” Villaruz said. “He is well-known here because he is part of St. Robert’s before and has played in some local leagues.”
“Harold is also a remarkable figure here in Iloilo because he has played several good games here as a member of Bacolod Tay Tung during his high school days,” he added.
Other members of UP who could see action in the exhibition were Crispin John Cansino, Joel Cagulangan, Maodo Malick Diouf, RC Calimag, Carl Tamayo, James Spencer, Terrence Fortea and Bismark Lina.
This will be the fourth time that the Fighting Maroons went to play exhibition in Iloilo following their stops in 2017, 2018 and 2019 under then Ilonggo Dolreich Perasol as head coach.
The Fighting Maroons were supposed to return to the city in 2020 for an exhibition with Iloilo selection but was cancelled due to coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic./PN
