HONG KONG SAR – The undisputed champion of East Asian basketball will be crowned on March 8-10 in Cebu, Philippines, as the city hosts the East Asia Super League 2023-24 Season Final Four.
Jeremy Lin and the New Taipei Kings, and Yuki Togashi and the Chiba Jets, are among the stars set to compete in Cebu as the first full-length EASL season comes to a thrilling conclusion.
The Final Four will be played at Hoops Dome in Lapu-Lapu City, just outside Cebu City. It will feature four elimination games – two semifinals played on March 8, followed by the Third Place Game and the Championship Game on March 10.
The four teams competing for the title of East Asian champions have been confirmed after Korean Basketball League (KBL) side Seoul SK Knights qualified Wednesday night with an 89-57 rout of the New Taipei Kings in Seoul, South Korea.
The other qualifiers are: New Taipei Kings (P. LEAGUE+), Chiba Jets (Japan B. LEAGUE), and reigning KBL and EASL champions Anyang Jung Kwan Jang Red Boosters.
Final Four host city Cebu is a basketball heartland in the Philippines and has produced a host of great players, including seven-time Philippine Basketball Association MVP June Mar Fajardo. It is also one of the country’s most popular travel destinations, with superb air travel connections and accommodation options.
EASL CEO Henry Kerins said, “Cebu is an incredible venue for the first EASL Final Four. It has some of the most passionate basketball fans in the Philippines. The Hoops Dome is a great arena that will be packed with local and travelling fans. And this is an amazing tourist destination – we are excited to showcase Cebu, including the magical resort island of Mactan, and the beautiful culture of the Philippines to our fans across the region.
“The Final Four is going to be a world-class sports entertainment experience.”
Ticket sales for the Final Four will commence soon on TicketMAX (www.ticketmax.ph). Further information on tickets will be published on the EASL website and EASL social media channels.
This year’s Final Four will be a historic moment in East Asian basketball – the culmination of the first, season-long championship for the region’s professional teams. It will tip off a new era, in which East Asia’s champion team is clearly defined every year in EASL.
The winning team in this year’s Final Four will receive a US$ 1 million first prize, as well as the priceless title of EASL champion. The second-placed team will win US$ 500,000 and the third-placed team receives US$ 250,000.
EASL is recognized by the international basketball federation, FIBA, as the exclusive operator of the international competition for the top clubs in the East Asia region plus the Philippines.
