Roxas City Invitational Basketball Tournament 2026 set to tip off

CEBU CITY, Philippines — After months of planning and preparation, the much-awaited Roxas City Invitational Basketball Tournament 2026 is all set to welcome five heavyweight teams from Manila and Australia.

Organized by the City Government of Roxas, the tournament will run from August 21 to 26 at the Dinggoy Roxas Civic Center, where UAAP, NCAA and Australian teams will battle in what is expected to be a showcase of top-level basketball in the region.

In a video message, Roxas City Mayor Ronnie Dadivas invited local basketball fans and spectators from nearby areas to witness the historic tournament.

“Please come and visit Roxas City and be among those witnessing pioneering basketball matches between international and national teams. Be part of history and be at the forefront of our sports revolution in our region,” Dadivas said.

Roxas City Information Division (RCID) head Melvin Galagate said preparations are complete, with the participating teams are expected to arrive ahead of the tournament.

“So far, all systems go na ta. We are waiting for the arrival of the participating teams. Moabot sila sa August 19 ang Australian teams, ang mga universities sa Manila. Mao na sila ang magpasundayag sa usa ka semana nga torneyo. Diri nato makita ang players coming from different teams and different schools, apil na ang mga bisita gikan sa Australia,” Galagate said.

(So far, everything is set. We are waiting for the participating teams to arrive. The Australian teams and the universities from Manila will arrive on August 19. They will be competing in the week-long tournament. Here, we will see players from different teams and schools, including our guests from Australia.)

The five participating teams are the reigning UAAP men’s basketball champions De La Salle Green Archers, Adamson Soaring Falcons and NCAA’s University of Perpetual Help System DALTA Altas, along with the Keysborough Universal Athlete Centre (UAC) and Brien Kerle Basketball Academy from Australia.

The international tournament comes after Roxas City successfully staged a local commercial basketball tournament earlier this year, highlighted by an exhibition game between the Gilas Legends and the Roxas City Flyers featuring top commercial players and former PBA stars last May.

But the upcoming invitational marks a significant step for basketball in Roxas City as it brings foreign teams to the city for the first time.

Behind the tournament are executive director Miggy Dadivas and veteran tournament organizer Van Halen Parmis. Mike Reyes will serve as tournament commissioner, with former PBA chairman Buddy Encarnado serving as league consultant.

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