SGA, Zamboanga Valientes to rep PH in Dubai tourney

Strong Group Athletics (SGA) and Zamboanga Valientes will represent the Philippines in the 34th Dubai International Basketball Championship, which begins on Friday at Al Nasr Club in Dubai.

Returning players for SGA include Andray Blatche and De La Salle-College of Saint Benilde standouts Allen Liwag, Tony Ynot, and Justine Sanchez, while new additions are former NBA stars DeMarcus Cousins, Malachi Richardson, Terry Larrier, and Jason Brickman, along with local talents Mikey Williams, Dave Ildefonso, Rhenz Abando, and Chris Koon.

SGA faces a challenging Group A lineup starting against the UAE National Team on Friday at 10 p.m. (Manila time), followed by Al Nasr Club on Saturday, Beirut First on Monday, and Amman United on Wednesday.

Zamboanga Valientes, led by former NBA swingman Adonis Thomas and collegiate stars, will compete in Group B for the first time.

Both teams will play a single round-robin competition against teams from their respective groups, with the top four advancing to the crossover quarterfinals.