By Eddie G. Alinea
Basketball-crazy Filipinos in the Royal Kingdom of Saudi Arabia will finally have the chance of seeing anew their cage heroes with the visit of the PBA Legends in a series of exhibition and goodwill games on October 24 to November 2.
The PBA Legends games, to be played in the cities of Dammam, Jeddah and Riyadh, will be in connection with the the annual celebration of the Hajj season on Oct. 24-29 in Saudi Arabia. Hajj is the pilgrimage to Mecca and is one of the greatest religious observances in Islam.
The program, according to PBA Legends USA Foundation secretary general Ruffy Ignacio, is supported by His Royal Highness Prince Nawaf bin Faisal bin Fahad, President General of Youth Welfare, Ministry of Sports and Welfare of the Kingdom.
The project is also aimed at strengthening athletic and cultural ties between the host country and the Philippines. Select local teams from Saudi Arabia will participate in the program.
The program is being managed by Coordinations Est. Company, in cooperation with various regional Filipino basketball organizations in Saudi Arabia -- the Pilipino Basketball Association (PBA) in Dammam, Overseas Filipino Basketball League (OFBL) in Jeddah and the Philippine Arabia Basketball Association (PABA) in Riyadh, Ignacio disclosed.
The program is under the overall leadership of Fahad Ibraheem Al Sekaity and Abdul Aziz Virgilio "Jawo" Dizon, a 19-year Filipino expatriate executive in the Kingdom.
Manila-based legends Marlou Aquino, E.J. Feihl, Bonnel Balingit, Rodney Santos, Bong Hawkins, Gherome Ejercito, Gerald Esplana, Vince Hizon, Bal David and Noli Locsin along with US-based Abe King Jr., PBA Legends USA Foundation, chair and president; and Ponky Alolor make up the team.
Unknown to many, the Filipino basketball communities in the Kingdom are a well-knit group of dedicated and hardworking kababayans who advance the twin cause of basketball and fellowship in that part of the world.
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