JERUSALEM – Four teams battle for supremacy in the second annual Jerusalem Filipino Basketball League, which kicked off at the Strauss Gym here last Saturday (Oct. 10).
Organized by a group of Filipino workers based in this historic Middle Eastern city, the league — which stakes a $1,000 cash prize — pits the following squads: Old City (composed of players who live inside and near the ancient walls of the capital, CIASI (an acronym in the Ilocano dialect whose players are from the Ilocos region of the Philippines), Stag, and Filstar (named after the team’s sponsor, a major money transfer agency in Israel).
Jerusalem is the lone city in Israel that holds a Filipino basketball league. Players come from larger cities such as Tel Aviv, Netanya and Haifa.
Vice-Consul of the Philippine Embassy in Tel Aviv Thaddeus Hamoy graced the league’s opening, which attracted an estimated 700 spectators.
Stag won “Best in Uniform,” while Old City’s siren Rizza Closa was named Best Muse. Closa, a 26-year-old caregiver from Mindoro Oriental, has been working in Israel for two years now.
Filstar got off to a strong start, clobbering CIASI, 71-48, in the first match. Stag, meanwhile, escaped with a 62-56 win over Old City in the second game.
Each team will compete six more times, with the top two squads advancing to the finals. Matches are scheduled every Saturday evening and will last until the end of November.
Aside from the $1,000 prize, the champion squad will be receiving a trophy.
Source: Philippine Star
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