Colegio de San Juan de Letran and San Beda University will be renewing their rivalry, not in the hardcourt but in the Land of Dawn when the Collegiate Center of Esports’ Mobile Legends Varsity cup unfurls on Wednesday, Nov. 10.
Basketball players from the 10 participating National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) member schools will be taking their acts to the competitive esports scene through the 5v5 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang tournament.
The clash between the two rival schools will be the highlight of the quadruple-header in Day 1 of the eliminations where the 10 teams will be battling it out in a best-of-three single round robin until Nov. 13
The top eight schools will punch a ticket to the playoffs which will be in a double elimination format with the top four squads marching to the upper bracket while the other four battling it out for survival in the lower bracket.
Letran ace guard Fran Yu cherishes the chance to once again represent his school after collegiate basketball events were halted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
“Kahit pandemic, mare-represent pa rin namin ‘yung school namin. Nakakapagbigay pa rin kami ng honor. Malaking bagay ito,” said Yu, who will be joined by fellow cagers Jeo Ambohot, Allen Mina, King Caralipio, Shan Bautista and Jap Pambid in the Letran ML roster.
San Beda, meanwhile, will be bannered by Damie Cuntapay, Yukien Andrada, Justine Sanchez, Tony Ynot, Gabriel Cometa in its clash against Letran at 5pm.
Arellano University (Kai Oliva, Lars Sunga, Diego Ilao, Marlon Espiritu, Jifford Cahigas) and College of St. Benilde (Carlo Lim, Baron Gabuyan, Ryan Daculan, Reiven Valera, Georgie Gauani, Leonard Jaboli) will lock horns in the curtain raiser at 1 p.m.
Lyceum of the Philippines University (Lorenzo Navarro, Alvin Baetiong, Carlo Abadeza, Yancy Remulla, Shawn Umali) then collides with San Sebastian College – Recoletos (Michael Are, Kenneth Villapando, JM Calma, Camillus Altamirano, Rafael Are) at 3 p.m
Rounding out the Day 1 hostilities will be a clash between Emilio Aguinaldo College ( Kyle Carlos, Jomar Amador, Ralph Vincent Robin, Adrian De Guzman, Christian Angelo Cabuhat) and Mapua (Warren Bonifacio, Joaqui Garcia, Jasper Salenga, Adrian Nocum, Jomer Mercado, Angelo Parinas) at 6:30 PM.
The two remaining teams in University of Perpetual Help System Dalta (Jasper Cuevas, Kyle Cuevas, Lean Martel, Shawn Orgo, Rey Joey Barcuma) and Jose Rizal University (JL Delos Santos, Jan Marc Abaoag, Hosea Mananquil, Dustin Aguado, Donvic Aguado) will see action in Day 2.
CCE’s MVC Cup is a prelude to the official season-by-season calendar next year featuring esports aspirants and enrolled students from the participating schools.