Panalay Lockdown

- July 30, 2020

Panalay Lockdown

Cebu – While most eyes look to the NBA and the PBA as the major sources of basketball entertainment, the VISMIN’s top roadshow has also been knocked down for the count. It’s the “panalay” world of basketball, the series of pocket tournaments that hop from one town to another in the various cities and towns in the Visayas and Mindanao. The panalay scene is a big hit among local fans as it features live basketball action, up close and personal and before full-house crowds, something that probinsyano fans don’t get much of. Tournaments are played almost every weekend for a series of weeks in different towns. These are considered the biggest and most attractive to local fans, private ballclubs and players due to its generous prizes and perks.

The biggest cash prizes can reach as much as P300,000 for the champion with P150,000 as the smallest. On top of the prizes, teams are also offered all-expense paid trips to these tournaments, with the local organizer shouldering the cost for airplane fares, land transportation, accommodations and meals. For teams, it instantly becomes a team bonding activity, for free. A tournament will usually have four to five teams playing in a single round robin format for the first round, with the top two teams clashing for the championship. Games are played in the gym of the LGU, and this usually located in the town “centro.” No maple flooring here. There are venues with cement flooring while others have wooden courts.

Players take time out to play in these panalay leagues since the “talay” or fees that they get are handsome. Key players can earn anywhere between P5,000 to P10,000 per game, while the reserves can earn P1,000 a game as a minimum. Imports rake in as much between P8,000 to P15,000 per game. If they play a minimum of four games in a pocket tournament, do the math and you have players flashing smiles, win or lose. Also earning their fees are the coaches and members of his staff.

Among the “stars” of these tournaments include former PBA or commercial league players, MPBL players, current and ex-college standouts and imports from Africa. The ageless Jojo Tangkay, Eloy Poligrates and John Abad are household names, along with African imports Landry Sanjo, Shooster Olago, Frederick Olambi, Lamine Thiam and Bassieru Sackor. Mark Andaya is also a big hit among fans, thanks to his stint in showbiz.

The pandemic has cancelled all pocket tournaments that tour through Bayugan in Agusan del Sur, Bontoc in Southern Leyte, Tagum and Panabo in Davao del Norte, Kananga and Ormoc in Leyte, Kibawe in Bukidnon, Ipil in Zamboanga Sibugay, Davao City, Tagoloan in Misamis Oriental, and various towns of Cebu.

“Luoy gyud ang tanan kay wala naman silay income,” (I pity everyone as they don’t have any income), panalay organizer Van Halen Parmis said. A coach of one of the winningest teams in panalay leagues lamented that for his coaching staff alone, they were due to earn around P50,000 over five days in the month of March and were supposed to be playing in Panabo, Davao del Norte a weekend later. A coaching staff includes one or two assistant coaches and a utility assistant. His players who don’t have any other means of income have found themselves suddenly idle and have asked for assistance from their team owners. Fortunately for some, playing panalay basketball isn’t their main source of income as they also have backyard businesses at home. Unfortunately, they remain to be a minority.

Game officials have also been hit hard. A game referee can earn between P1,500 to P3,000 per game on top of accommodations, meals and transportation allowances. Table officials earn between P300 to ~~P500~~ per game. This excludes their income from minor leagues such as grassroots or age group basketball tournaments. While most of the referees have either a job or other sources of income, a few rely solely on basketball officiating for their livelihood. Over and above all the players, coaches and game officials are the tournament organizers and service providers who are tapped to work with these games. The summer is usually a peak time for these tournaments with the celebration of the different fiestas. But Panalay 2020 has been a drought. Locked down by COVID 19.