MAGIGING host ang Manila sa Final Four ng East Asia Super League (EASL) Season 1 sa Marso.
Inanunsiyo ng liga ang pagkakapili sa Pilipinas bilang venue para sa three-day event nitong Miyerkoles, na magsisilbing culmination ng inaugural home-and-away season ng liga.
Lalarga ang Final Four sa Marso 3 tampok ang dalawang semifinals games, isang music festival sa Marso 4, at ang Finals sa Marso 5.
“We couldn’t ask for a better city to host the first EASL Final Four. I would like to thank the local government authorities, our colleagues at the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), and the Filipino fans for welcoming us. The Final Four weekend will be unique and memorable, bigger than any event EASL has ever held, featuring a music festival and a variety of fan activations,” sabi ni EASL CEO Matt Beyer.
Hindi na kailangan ang pre-departure o on-arrival COVID testing, maging ang quarantine para sa fully vaccinated travelers, na nangangahulugan na nakahanda ang Manila para sa warm-up event sa FIBA World Cup na gaganapin sa Indonesia, Japan, at sa Pilipinas simula sa August 2023.
“The decision to stage the inaugural EASL Final Four in Manila this March is a welcome development. The Philippines is a basketball-loving country and Filipino fans will be following the EASL games closely. Hosting the Final Four would be an exciting prelude to the FIBA World Cup as our country opens its doors to the global basketball community next year,” sabi ni PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial.
Nakuha na ng TNT ang isa sa dalawang PBA berths na kakatawan sa bansa sa kick-off season sa Oct. 12 makaraang makapasok sa finals ng nagpapatuloy na Philippine Cup.
Ang reigning champion Seoul SK Knights at runner-up Anyang KGC ang kakatawan sa Korean Basketball League (KBL) sa meet, ipadadala ng P. League + of Chinese Taipei ang Taipei Fubon Braves, ang B. League ng Japan ay kakatawanin ng Utsonomiya Brex at Ryukyu Golden Kings, habang ang Bay Area Dragons ay sasabak para sa Greatet China.
“Having recently spent time in Manila for the EASL inaugural grouping ceremony, I can say with certainty that this is a great decision by EASL to host the Final Four Weekend in this magnificent city. Manila is truly a basketball city with some of the biggest and liveliest crowds,” wika ni KBL Commissioner Kim Hee Ok.
Kasabay nito, inanunsiyo ng EASL na ang Final Four Weekend para sa Season 2 sa kaagahan ng 2024 ay gaganapin sa Okinawa, Japan.
“The prefecture of Okinawa and the OCVB couldn’t be happier to partner with EASL in the planning and promotion of the 2024 EASL Final Four. We are thrilled that Okinawa has been chosen as the destination for this global sporting event at our state-of-the-art Okinawa arena,” sabi ni Okinawa Convention & Visitors Bureau Chairman Yoshiro Shimoji.
“We are promoting a ‘Sports Island Okinawa,’ and we are confident that it is a world-class place with great sports resources. The EASL Final Four solidifies Okinawa as a world class destination for sports and entertainment. We look forward to hosting all of the guests taking part in the EASL Final Four.”
