INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Even before the ball is tipped off for a couple of dream exhibition charity matches that aim to provide relief to victims of Tropical Storm ?Ondoy,? organizers already have good news to share.

Two major basketball stakeholders, who are part of the group that organized the benefit games set on October 5, donated a total of P800,000 during a press conference launching the event at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City.

Philippine Basketball League chair Mikee Romero of Harbour Centre donated P500,000 as seed money while Smart Sports, an organization under the aegis of telecommunications tycoon and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan, chipped in P300,000.

The main game at 7:15 p.m. features an eagerly anticipated showdown between the PBA-backed Powerade-RP squad and the Smart Gilas developmental pool of SBP.

?There is only one word to describe the Philippines today: devastated,? said Romero. ?We are all one here to lend help in the best way we can.?

Powerade-RP coach Yeng Guiao and Smart Gilas? Rajko Toroman, however, are not treating the match as a mere exhibition game.

Guiao said Powerade-RP always wants to win.

?If you?re there and you?re competing, there?s always the motivation to win in any situation,? said Guiao. ?This is no exception. Even if it?s a charity game, once adrenalin flows, you get to be competitive mentally.?

?It will be an exhibition game but everybody wants to win, so we will try to do our best to be competitive,? said Toroman.

Ushering in the event is the battle between a UAAP-NCAA selection versus a PBL-Liga Pilipinas squad at 5 p.m.

SBP, headed by Pangilinan, organized the event in cooperation with PLDT/Smart Foundation.

Araneta Center is allowing the use of the Big Dome for free. Footwear company Islander is also donating goods.

PBA chair Lito Alvarez, SBP executive director Noli Eala, PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios and his PBL counterpart Chino Trinidad, Liga?s Butch Antonio, NCAA representative Fr. Mat de Jesus of San Beda, UAAP?s Mark Molina of Far Eastern U, PBA Board treasurer Mamerto Mondragon and SBP treasurer Jay Adalem also attended the press conference.

?It?s all about cooperation,? said Trinidad. ?We should set aside all differences when it?s the country?s welfare at stake. We are a team and you won?t win if you do it alone.?

?It?s all about coming together and making a difference,? added Antonio.

The PBA and Liga will raise funds ahead of the exhibition matches as proceeds of the Coca-Cola Tigers-ML Lhuillier Cebu Niños tomorrow in Cebu City will also be given to Ondoy?s victims.

Tickets are priced at P200 for patron, P100 for lower box and P50 for Upper A. The Upper B and General Admissions sections are free for fans who will donate footwear.

The Tony Chua trophy, named after the former PBA chair who was among those who perished at the height of the tropical storm on Saturday, will be presented to the winners.