Here to stay: PBL unwraps new season on Feb. 16

The Philippine Basketball League (PBL) enters its new season on Feb. 16 with eight competitive teams and a promise that the country's oldest amateur league is here to stay.

So said Commissioner Chino Trinidad who expressed confidence that the coming tournament, known as the PG Flex-UK Derm Open Conference, will be as good and exciting as the previous tournaments.

The PBL faced a very difficult challenge last year with old teams taking a leave of absence due to various reasons but Trinidad said it only opened the doors to other commercial and school-based teams that have long wanted in.

"The PBL has always weathered any crisis that came its way. As long as you see people who want to fuel the league, then the tradition continues," said Trinidad, who's in his 10th year as commissioner.

Trinidad took his hat off to Paccual Laboratories owner Jappy Pascual who is fielding two teams this season, saying it was the young and vibrant executive who encouraged him to "keep the faith" and push on.

"It's a huge sacrifice on the part of people like Jappy Pascual fielding two teams. The support he's showed to the PBL is so intense. And after the uncertainty, we're glad that the PBL is ready to open a new season," Trinidad said.

"As long as we have people who share the common passion of helping Philippine amateur basketball, it's not impossible to bring back the glory days of the PBL. We will continue with the tradition," Trinidad added

The commissioner assured everybody, particularly the new teams, that the PBL board is "working on something that is bigger than the PBL itself."

He asked all the faithful PBL partners to "forget what has happened in the past."

Games will be played Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays, and the PBL is bound to return to its old home, the Makati Coliseum.

Pascual Laboratories, led by Pascual and incoming chairman Ding Camua, will field Ascof Lagundi as its primary team, to be coached by Carlo Tan, and Pharex B Complex, made up of the core of the UP team with Aboy Castro as coach.

Asia Brewery is also fielding two teams – Cobra to be coached by Lawrence Chongson and Cossack Vodka with Rene Baena calling the shots. The other teams are Addmix (Leo Austria), Agri Nurture in partnership with the De Ocampo University (Toto Dojillo), Fern-C (Bal David) and Excel Roof-San Sebastian (Ato Agustin).

The team manager's meeting, according to Trinidad, will be held on Wednesday to decide on the games’ schedule and venue of the opening ceremony that will feature the traditional parade of the teams and surprises that will catch everyone's attention.

Source: Author Unknown  | GMANews.TV