Expect some Dubai hoteliers to shed off their niceties and show their highly competitive and ferocious side in the Synergy Sports’ Inter-Hotel Basketball Tournament which will kick off on 30 May at Al Twar 2 Sports Hall in Al Qusais.
“The tournament is very competitive because the teams are fighting for the pride of their hotel or company,” Synergy Sports commissioner Chris Flores told Sport360. “But aside from the tough competition, the league also promotes unity and friendship among employees and staff of various hotels in Dubai through sport.”
The eight teams taking part in the event are Atlantis The Palm, Dubai; Auris Plaza Hotel, Conrad Dubai; Emaar Hospitality Group, Mövenpick Hotel Ibn Battuta Gate, Raffles Dubai, Sofitel The Palm, Dubai and The H Hotel Dubai.
The basketball tournement will run for 10 weeks and games will be played on Fridays.
Atlantis coach Manuel Kuong hopes they can finally bring home the elusive championship trophy after finishing in the top four in several tournaments in the past.
He organised an open tryout to look for the best players from their hotel and he is relying on his Kenyan centre Rey Odhiambo and returning player Allan Omandi to carry the team to victory.
Auris Plaza Hotel team captain Jon Pecbot said his team – composed of Filipinos, Kenyans and Tunisians – may be newly formed but they will not back down against the more established teams.
“We will always demonstrate our fighting spirit,” he said.
Conrad Dubai team captain Philipp Villanueva said his team also has a strong chance to finish on top after being a finalist in another basketball tournament.
“We’re going to come out strong in every game. We’re going to show our character, we’re going to show our pride,” said Villanueva.
Qualifying for the semi-finals is a sure task for Mohanad Zarouq, team manager of Emaar Hospitality Group who believes their championship experience – having won two Cups so far this year – is their biggest advantage among other teams.
Mövenpick Assistant HR Manager Lilah Moukhtar said their team has been practising regularly in preparation for the tournament.
“Effort is the No. 1 thing. We want to play with intensity and energy in every game.”
Raffles Hotel team captain Rommel Lugo is confident his team will add another trophy to their collection.
“We are champions in a recent tournament and we will carry our momentum in this competition,” he said.
Sofitel Assistant HR Manager Vanessa Alvarez said their players are highly motivated and are ready to showcase their skills and talent in basketball.
She said: “We will finish in the Top 4.”
Meanwhile, player-coach Ricky Cabanlit gave a modest assessment of his team (The H Hotel Dubai) after the departure of some of their top players.
“Though our team is not that strong, other teams should not take us lightly because we can always pull an upset.” Cabanlit also summed up the objective of the tournament: “This will be intense, physical and rugged at times. But at the end of the day, we will get acquainted with our fellow hoteliers and we will definitely meet new friends in the industry.”
What: Synergy Sports Inter-Hotel Basketball Tournament
Kick-off: Friday (30 May 2014)
Where: Al Twar 2 Sports Hall, Al Qusais 2, Dubai, UAE
Contact person: Chris Flores (mob: 056 2305928 l tel: 04 2959239 I email: [email protected]
Entrance fee: 5 dirhams at the gate
