This year, the Inter-government/Business Basketball League will open on Aug. 7 with five more teams from the business sector.
During yesterday’s meeting for coaches and team managers, representatives from Docomo and Micronesian Brokers Inc., confirmed their intention to join the caging.
Basketball Association of Northern Mariana Islands’ president Elias Rangamar said that although he is still waiting for final words from three hotels, the managers of Aqua Resort Club, Pacific Island Club and Hyatt Regency Saipan have already expressed interest to participate in the basketball league.
This came as Aqua Resort Club’s Lito Espino plans to continue the Hotel Association of Northern Mariana Islands Basketball Tournament which they failed to hold last year.
With PTI and Bank of Guam as the only teams from the business groups, the Inter-government/Business caging was participated in by 11 teams with PTI winning the title against the Northern Marianas College.
Now, 18 teams are likely to play.
Rangamar said these include two government teams that used to participate before but failed to play last year. The teams are from the Aircraft Rescue and Fire Fighting and Port Police.
“They are now playing again,” Rangamar said.
Rangamar added that there is going to be a lot of new rules for this year’s Inter-government/business caging. That is why BANMI has to hold another meeting with coaches and managers to discuss these new rules.
