PBA sets SMB-Gin Kings game in Dubai as part of Season 50

REIGNING Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beermen and crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra will take centerstage as the PBA ventures in its first overseas gig in six years.

As it celebrates its golden anniversary, the pro league set an explosive duel between the Beermen and the Gin Kings on Oct. 26 at the Coca-Cola Arena in Dubai as part of the official calendar of the Season 50-opening All-Filipino conference.

The PBA announced the protagonists in the lone matchup slated 6 p.m. (Dubai time) on Sunday.

This will mark the league’s first outside-the-country foray since staging a doubleheader in the 2019 Governors’ Cup also in the United Arab Emirates capital.

SMB and Ginebra were actually part of that trip but didn’t get to face off and only took turns dueling with NLEX that time.

The coming Beermen-Gin Kings tiff will kick start a slew of overseas outings Asia’s first pro league is arranging for the new season, which will roll Oct. 5.

After Dubai, the PBA will have a swing in Bahrain on Dec. 15 and 17. The league is also in the process of sealing deals to stage action in Abu Dhabi, Doha, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and in New York.

Meanwhile, Magnolia signed trade acquisition Javi Gomez de Liaño to a three-year deal the other day.

The 6-foot-3 guard-forward, who played in Korea last season, joined the LA Tenorio-coached Hotshots from his old PBA team Terrafirma in exchange for Jerrick Ahanmisi and their second-round pick in next week’s draft. — Olmin Leyba