Petron is tipped to have a hard time defending its crown when the Philippine Superliga All-Filipino unfurls on June 15 at the Filoil Flying V Centre in San Juan.
Head coach Shaq delos Santos admitted that the battle will be tough following the emergence of Cignal, F2 Logistics, Foton and new team Marinerang Pilipina.
The coaches and skippers of the competing teams in the forthcoming Philippine Superliga All-Filipino Conference gather during a special Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum yesterday at Amelie Hotel in Ermita, Manila. (PSA Images)
Cignal, for one, secured the services of Filipino-American playmaker Alohi Robins-Hardy while the Cargo Movers remain intact, but displayed eagerness to challenge the Blaze Spikers anew.
Foton, for its part, secured the services of University of Santo Tomas ace Eya Laure as well as collegiate standouts Laizah Bendong of University of the East (UE) and Arianne Layug, Justine Dorog and Marianne Buitre of University of the Philippines to form a lethal squad that will welcome the return of explosive spiker EJ Laure.
“I think it’s possible for us to be dethroned this conference. All teams are strong and it’s really hard to tell if we can keep our place on top,” said Delos Santos during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum.