Dammam, Saudi Arabia – The Eastern Province Basketball League (EPBL) traces its humble origin from the Al-Munirah Basketball Players Association (MBPA) of the Saudi Arabian Oil Company (Saudi Aramco) which was then headed by Pete Catanjal, an expatriate from the Philippines. Under the guidance and advisorship of Mr. Rashed A. Al-Hatllan, the first Open Invitational Basketball tournament of the MBPA was held in 1987 at Saudi Aramco’s Al-Munirah Camp Gymnasium in Dhahran.
The EPBL settled at the Al-Ettifaq Club Gymnasium, Sports City-Dammam, as its home.
The EPBL’s popularity spread like a bush fire among throngs of basketball teams, players, supporters, and sponsors through the efforts of its early organizers.
One of the reasons for the long existence of the league is that it takes pride in policing its ranks. Self-discipline, dedication, honesty, and unquestionable commitment are required from its officers and members. Erring officers or members whose actions affect the integrity and high ethical standard of the league are reprimanded or dismissed from the organization.
Teams and individuals that do not adhere to the set of rules and regulations are penalized or, worse, banned from joining any EPBL-sanctioned tournaments.
During the tenure of Ross Martin, the EPBL continued its success. It was the time when EPBL started to gather game and players’ statistics which was widely appreciated by the masses.
Just like any other organization, the EPBL encountered its difficult times during the incumbency of Cesar Baggay in 1997 till mid-1998. During this period the league temporarily moved to Al-Qadissiyah Club Gymnasium in Al-Khobar.
Criticisms, harsh comments, and various charges and accusations from participating teams and observers were abound due to ineffective leadership.
The league almost came to the brink of collapse if not for the decisive move of its advisor, Mr. Al-Hatlan, and other EPBL officers. Baggay was dismissed and banned from the league and shortly, thereafter, left Saudi Arabia. This monumental decision was heartily welcomed by the entire basketball community allowing EPBL to regain its integrity and stature. The amiable Lito Esteban who spearheaded the rejuvenation of the league replaced him. It was during Esteban’s term that this EPBL Conference Manual was instituted.
After a short stint at the helm, Esteban turned-over the stewardship to the hardworking Edwin Caliboso, also a Filipino, who was unanimously voted for the job by the EPBL members this year. Caliboso’s immediate plan is to send a rightful delegation into the Friendship Games which will carry the pride and true colors of basketeers of the entire Eastern Region.
On 26th March 1999, the EPBL played host to the visiting Philippine Consul to Saudi Arabia, the Honorable Jesus Domingo, to discuss some of the grand plans of the league.
The popularity of the league makes it an easy prey for intrigues and rumors, malicious or otherwise. Minor and sensitive issues brought to the attention of the league are thoroughly discussed, analyzed, and resolved by the entire organization. All the members are consulted before a decision is handed down.
Aside from providing an alternative means of entertainment to the public, particularly the expatriate communities, the league continues to help exceptionally talented players and community members find better job opportunities from basketball-loving companies and sponsors in the region.
Each year, the EPBL actively participates in the kingdom-wide All-Filipino basketball tournament. This tournament, which is the culmination of a year-round coordination between the biggest expatriate basketball organizations in the country, is being held on a rotation basis. Teams from Riyadh, Jeddah, Buraydah, and the EPBL that are composed of exceptionally talented and selected players vie for the coveted honor of being crowned as the Champion of Champions.
In December 1998, the EPBL selection figured prominently in the Goodwill Games which included the Saudi Arabian National Team, Batangas Blades (a professional team from the Philippines), and the Basketball Association of Riyadh (BAR) All-Stars. The EPBL placed third in this tournament won by the Saudi Arabian National Team.
The EPBL normally conducts two tournaments each year. To maintain competitiveness among teams, each tournament is divided into two leagues, A&B, where League A is for premier class teams while League B is for teams with lesser caliber. Previous champions in the premier category include the Olayan Group of Companies, Tropang Dhahran of Saudi Aramco, Winston Cigarettes, SEGI, Al-Hoty Establishment, SSOC, Cubao Cargo, National Pipe Company, Al-Fouzan Hydraulics, Zahid Tractors, and Hanes T-Shirts.
In 1998, several basketball groups and organizations have joined forces and tried to follow and imitate the huge success of EPBL. Some are even using false causes to advance their personal interests and dupe teams to join their fold.
More interesting is the fact that some of the personalities involved in these upstarts are former members of the EPBL that were, likewise, dismissed due to misdemeanors and various misconducts.
Initially, they managed to recruit a number of rag-tag teams by staging their tournaments ahead of EPBL’S. This did not affect the prestige of the league since most of the teams recruited by the other leagues did not meet the standards of the EPBL anyway.
Nevertheless, the league confronted the challenge and continued its unblemished integrity in holding well-organized and highly-prestigious basketball tournaments. Unsurprisingly, after just one or two tournaments, these upstarts crumbled and failed to deliver their promises.
Mr. Jun Sanchez, a Filipino expat working for Saudi Aramco took the helm in 2000 and worked hard in thwarting attempts to destabilize the integrity of the organization. He was pretty much successful performing his job as the commissioner for four years until he decided to head back to his home country to join his family for good. It was at that time that Mr. Rashid Al-Hatlan, the lifetime EPBL Advisor, accepted an offer to work in the United States.
The men behind the prestigious sports organization in the Eastern Province were stricken with panic for the first time. Questions as to who could lead EPBL further come to mind. An emergency meeting was called by the advisor to appoint the successor. It was, at one point, discussed during the meeting the possibility of closing EPBL for good. But in the end, the remaining members decided to steer EPBL further into the future.
Mr. Gil Garcia, another Saudi Aramco employee, took up the cudgel and proved his worth for a year – successfully.
In 2007, Mr. Ricky Piguing from Isam Kabbani & Sons Group of Companies was elected as the successor to Garcia. His beat is as tough as his predecessors’ but he held his head up high and never look back as he ventured to a challenging job ahead of him.
With his influence in his company, he enlisted several of his co-workers to help steer the organization along with the existing members. He was able to solicit major sponsors that financed the succeeding conferences. Throng of teams came trekking back to join EPBL’s tournaments since then. Even with these developments the EPBL continues to uplift and maintain its tournament standards and will try to reach out to other smaller organizations to provide technical assistance whenever required.
Truly, EPBL had made basketball in the Eastern Province become more than just fun and sport. It has now turned into a passion … a continuing commitment … to serve the community – a commitment that the EPBL hopes to carry for many more years.
The birth of “The EPBL Chronicle” in April 13, 2007 is another ambitious undertaking. Its mission is to provide the EPBL players and fans more up-to-date news and information regarding the games, players’ profile and the conference status because they are committed to keep the glory going.