Chooks MPBL Invitational set for opener, fans allowed

Saturday schedule:

9:30 am - Iloilo vs Negros (Pool A)

12:00 nn - Opening Ceremony

1:30 pm - San Juan vs Val City (Pool C)

4:00 pm - Bacolod vs Bacoor (Pool A)

6:30 pm - Bulacan vs Imus (Pool D)

9:00 pm - Bicol vs Basilan (Pool B)

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League is set to reignite and make history once again.

Both the local government of Pasay City and the Games and Amusements Board have given their consent to have the SM Mall of Asia Arena host fans during the 2021 Chooks-to-Go Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League powered by TM.

The first couple of days will see a maximum of 1400 fans, but that will eventually lead to a fifty-percent audience capacity of 7500 afterwards.

Each of the ten teams scheduled to play tomorrow and Sunday will receive a hundred tickets for their allocation, with the league also giving away 300 tickets on a first-come, first-serve basis. Fans are expected to be fully vaccinated and must furnish a valid ID.

Interested fans can head to the Coral Way entrance to take advantage of this deal.

Chooks-to-Go president Ronald Mascariñas shares, "We all know that the fans are excited to be allowed back inside the SM Mall of Asia Arena. The first two days though will be our test on how we can fully bring the fans back at the MOA Arena. If our protocols prove to be safe, we will gradually bring more fans in and, hopefully, have 7,500 fully-vaccinated fans inside the venue come the playoffs."

The Chooks MPBL Invitiational will also hold a brief opening ceremony with both Mascariñas and league founder Manny Pacquiao set to grace the occasion.

Aicelle Santos and all-girl band Rogue will serve as performers, with all 22 teams set to parade themselves alongside their respective muses.

The five-game slate will feature the much-anticipated matchup between the Bicol Volcanoes-LCC Malls against Basilan-Jumbo Plastic Medical Depot at 9pm.

Serving as the appetizer just before the opening ceremonies are the Iloilo United Royals and league newcomers Negros Muscovados at 930am, with the Lakan Cup runners-up San Juan Knights-Go for Gold AICC facing off against Val City-MJAS Zenith at 130pm.

The other matchups of the day feature All-Star Bacolod Ballers against Bacoor Strikers at 4pm, followed by the Bulacan Kuyas and the Imus Bandera - Buracai de Laiya at 630pm.

Matches will be streamed LIVE on the Facebook pages of Chooks-to-Go Pilipinas and the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, with one game per day set to be aired on IBC 13. Sundays are the exception in the elimination round with two games set for broadcast.

The league also shared its broadcast component, with Noli Eala, Benjie Paras, Anton Roxas, Christian Luanzon, Potit de Vera, Mikee Reyes, Javi Palana, and Mark Zambrano on the call, whilst serving as courtside reporters are Mica Abesamis, Makyla Chavez, Christiana Dimaunahan, Gianna Llanes, Yani Mayo, and Aiyana Perlas.