DUBAI, United Arab Emirates — Win or lose, the Pampanga Giant Lanterns and the Quezon Huskers are bound to join the MPBL (Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League) in shaping the country’s sporting history.
When the Giant Lanterns and the Huskers tangle in Game One of the MPBL Sixth Season National Finals Sunday at 7 p.m. (11 p.m. in Manila) at the Al Nasr Club (Rashid Bin Hamdan Indoor Hall), the MPBL will become the first local cage league to stage championship games on foreign soil.
While North Division champion and reigning national titlist Pampanga is favored in the opener of the best-of-five series, Quezon Province, the South Division ruler, is determined to prove its doubters wrong.
The Huskers arrived here on Friday, two days after the Giant Lanterns flew in on Wednesday with hundreds of supporters and local government officials to prepare early for their bid to become the league’s first back-to-back champions.
After resting on Thursday, the Giant Lanterns, coached by Pampanga Gov. Dennis Pineda, trained lightly on Friday and plunged into a three-hour training session on Saturday.
Barely recovered from the over nine-hour flight from Manila, the Huskers of coach Eric Gonzales also worked out for Game One.
Game Two is set on Tuesday at the same venue before the series returns to the country for Game Three on Saturday at the Bren Z. Guiao Convention Center in San Fernando, Pampanga.
If necessary, Game Four will be played at the Quezon Convention Center in Lucena City on 10 December. If the series goes the full route, Game Five will return to San Fernando on 13 December.
Quezon Province team manager Atty. Donn Kapunan has faith in the Huskers.
“They’re very focused. They’re here to compete,” said Kapunan, admitting that the Huskers face a “tough uphill battle” against the Giant Lanterns, who disposed of the top-seeded San Juan Knights for the North crown.
The Huskers will also cheered on by team owners, Rep. Keith Micah Tan and San Andres Mayor Ralph Edward Lim and other Quezon bigwigs, led by Gov. Helen Tan.