MPBL flies to Canada on Christmas Day

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League is spreading its wings and going international again.

Apart from touring around the country and holding regular Lakan Season games in Dubai in September, the MPBL is set to transport its brand of action in Canada this December.

This was announced by league founder and CEO Senator Manny Pacquiao, during halftime of the Makati Super Crunch-Muntinlupa Cagers tussle at the Makati Coliseum.

The eight-division world champion, MPBL commissioner Kenneth Duremdes and deputy commissioner Zaldy Realubit signed the memorandum of agreement with the event organizers on Friday.

Due to the enormity of the undertaking, a first for local cage leagues, WYZMYND Events Production Inc., HKJ Productions and Witmichel Corporation are pooling their resources to guarantee its success.

The San Juan Knights, the MPBL Datu Cup champions, the Zamboanga Family’s Brand Sardines and the Imus Khaleb Shawarma Bandera have been chosen to play in Alberta, Canada, particularly the cities of Calgary and Edmonton.

There’s a catch though, the bulk of the MPBL contingent will have to leave on Christmas Day, returning on December 29 and arriving in the country on New Year.

Patterned after the MPBL Dubai Invasion, where the Batangas City Athletics, the inaugural Rajah Cup titlist, the Davao Occidental Tigers, and the Bandera, who boast actor Gerald Anderson in their fold, the Canada tour will have two regular Lakan Season games.

Since there are only three teams in the fold, Zamboanga will have to play twice on December 27 and 28 with San Juan and Imus seeing action only once.

Pacquiao will also be bringing along some stalwarts of the MPBL of his choice to play in exhibition games against local selections. Duremdes and MPBL Operations Head Emer Oreta will be part of Pacquiao’s All-Stars.

The schedule isn’t final yet as there are plans to hold another exhibition game in Vancouver, which will move the return flight to December 30.