THE renewed three-leg format of the Shakey’s Super League (SSL) National Invitationals in line with the brand’s 50th anniversary is likely to stay from here on forward.

League organizer Athletic Events and Sports Management, Inc., (ACES) said the warm reception from fans in Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao (LuzViMin) should be enough deciding factor in making it an annual regional staging under a regional format in three host cities.

“The impact is really different,” said ACES President Dr. Ian Laurel as the Luzon leg hit the finale stage featuring UAAP’s Far Eastern University (FEU) and NCAA’s College of St. Benilde.

“We would strongly recommend that this is how we do it each year, from now on.”

Since the revival of the entire league that also holds collegiate pre-season and high school championships, the SSL held the first two National Invitationals won by De La Salle University and National University (NU) in Manila with teams from Luzon, Visayas and Mindanao visiting.

Not this year though with the SSL bringing the games closer to provincial teams — and fans as well — from Batangas to Cebu and Davao City.

Reigning UAAP champion NU won the Davao Leg this year by sweeping University of the Philippines, Notre Dame of Dadiangas University, and the Davao Selection, made up of standouts from Ateneo de Davao University, Holy Cross of Davao College and the University of Mindanao.

Adamson University then followed suit, ruling the Cebu leg with a similar sweep of Ateneo de Manila University as well as home teams University of San Carlos and University of Southern Philippines Foundation.

NU’s Sam Cantada and Adamson’s Shaina Nitura were named the Best Players of each leg as FEU and St. Benilde were to slug it out at press time for the Batangas leg that also included Colegio de San Juan de Letran and host University of Batangas.

While Manila squads have been stamping their class over regional counterparts, the prime vision for SSL is for LuzViMin squads to gauge their caliber and improve slowly but surely with the help of homecourt advantage.

This early, at least three local government units (LGUs) have pitched to host next year which could be the case for the SSL National Invitationals moving forward as a teaser to its centerpiece Collegiate Pre-Season Championships.

“New ones started to request and already want to talk to us for next year. So, I think the impact, when you base it on the impact that we made this year compared to the past two years, is really more impactful and has more meaning,” added Mr. Laurel, joined by ACES Director Ariel Paredes, Competition Director Ginio Panganiban, Referee Manager Erwin Cordero, Shakey’s Batangas Group Franchise head Pauline Bondad, Batangas Country Club Even Manager Jong Rivera, BCC Executive Chef Andrew Koh and University of Batangas Sports Director Christopher Quizon during the Luzon leg’s launch. — John Bryan Ulanday

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