PHOTO BY MARLO CUETO/INQUIRER.net
The PBA is poised to see its teams face more international competition with the participation of last season’s two champions in the East Asia Super League (EASL) and the possible entry of a club from Hong Kong.
PBA commissioner Willie Marcial in recent days has confirmed talks with Eastern Sports Club as a possible guest team in the midseason Commissioner’s Cup while the entry of San Miguel Beer and Meralco to the EASL was finalized this week.
San Miguel and Meralco’s selection as the PBA’s representative to the continental tournament seemed like a formality anyway after the Beermen ruled the import-laden Commissioner’s Cup in February and the Bolts taking the Philippine Cup last month.
It will be the second straight year that Meralco will take part in the EASL after replacing Barangay Ginebra last season while San Miguel competed in the tournament’s Champions Week in March 2023.
Now the two teams will look to improve the PBA’s batting average in the EASL, especially after Meralco and TNT produced just one win apiece in the first home-and-away season, and was the only league that didn’t have a representative in the Final Four last March in Cebu.
Meanwhile, Eastern was identified last week by a Hong Kong media outlet as the one engaging in discussions with the PBA over the prospect of competing in the league’s second conference.
Eastern is also where Terrafirma’s newly acquired star Christian Standhardinger suited up before joining the PBA in 2018.