The Filsama brand that has become a favorite of basketball enthusiasts was again unveiled last Friday with the soft opening of the 12th Filsama Invitational Basketball Conference at Rawdah court adjacent to Radisson Blu Plaza Hotel here.
The opening games were preceded by a simple opening ceremony that was highlighted by the traditional parade of teams. VIP guests at the opening were Venicio Vano Legaspi, ACTS- OFW party-list representative and director-general of OCL (OFWs Council of Leaders), and Mohamed Bayoumi, friend of the Filipino community, recipient of the prestigious Presidential Banaag Award and consultant-adviser of Filsama. Also present were OCL officials Red Bual, Gerwin Mcwheng and Soler. 
Filsama President and Commissioner . Abdulmoen “Teng” Laguialam welcomed the teams with Assistant Commissioner Johnny Kitab doing the invocation. Legaspi and Bayoumi both delivered speeches. Willy Cartajena emceed the opening ceremony and did the play-by-play commentary of the games.
The opening Best Team in Uniform trophies to go up for grabs went to Jimmy Abdullah Beltran’s ALJ and Jeddah Lions of Erwin Carpena.
Like in previous conferences the tournament is divided into four divisions as follows: Open Rated A featuring mostly Arab players representing the Lebanese Team, Egyptian Team, Syrian Team, Jordanian Teams, and, of course, the teams Uncle Majid-Panino’s and Combibo; Second Division is the Open Rated B & C composed of AIM Global Team, Lumbatan Team , Kabayan Team, and Ford Al Jazeera Team; the Third Division Inter Company Open Non Rated 5’8” made up of Starbucks, Madalum , Sarawat, Wassalak and Weng / R. Printing; and the Inter Company Open Non Rated Group, come a long list of playing teams ; AMI Pioneers, Cabalen Restaurant ; Dabarkads; Abdudawood Co. ; Lifestyles Team ; Toyota ; Philippine Consulate Team; Fuddruckers Restaurant; Pagadian Team ; Libutan Team ; New Jeddah Lions and Abdul Lateef Jameel (ALJ).
The opening games , started with ALJ against the AMI Pioneers. The game ended 88-66 to ALJ which dominated AMI Pioneers under the goal while having fun with its perimeter shooting featuring their experienced players.
Second game was played between Starbucks Coffee and Jeddah Lions. Starbucks enjoyed a 17-points lead before eventually winning by 84 -67 against the Jeddah Lions.
With Laguialam and Kitab in the Filsama Basketball League committee are Rene Valle, treasurer ; Allen Celosia, technical director; Ogie Nucum, secretary-general, and the table officials.

Source: Arab News