Intact 64-man list for PBA Draft
IT WAS almost impossible to get hold of newly appointed deputy commissioner Rickie Santos on the eve of the annual PBA Rookie Draft yesterday. He was earlier tasked to take charge of one of the league’s most important events and two pre-draft events leading to the big day scheduled this afternoon at Robinsons Place Manila.
I just wanted confirmation from Santos that nobody was really dropped from the original list of 64 applicants despite an earlier warning that aspirants who fail to undergo the required biometrics and attend the rookie camp would be scrapped from the list and disqualified from the draft.
Fortunately I bumped into veteran player agent Danny Espiritu just before I wrote this column yesterday. Espiritu said he had just sealed a contract for Jay Washington, a new client.
Espiritu confirmed that the original 64, except for Gilas cagers Troy Rosario and Fil-Tongan Moala Tautuaa who are in Estonia with the national team, will be at Robinsons Place for the PBA Draft. But the two, predicted by experts to be the top picks, are eligible to be drafted.
According to Espiritu, there were eight aspirants who were unable to complete the requirements but were declared eligible for the draft after submitting documents explaining why they failed to do so.
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Espiritu said Rosario is one of 25 rookies in his stable this season.
He said he could not predict how many will be drafted today, but he expects seven of his cagers to be picked in the first round.
In addition to Rosario of National University, his other top draft prospects are Scottie Thompson, Michael Mabulak, Kevin Racal, Mark Cruz and Almond Vosotros of La Salle.
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I have been religiously watching all episodes of Pacific X-treme Combat (PXC) in the country but I can’t remember Ale Cali’s last fight before he was gunned down by men riding tandem in a town in Davao recently.
Cali was a former PXC flyweight champion. He was a boxer before he turned to mixed martial arts.
With his fancy, colorful moves, Cali was one of the most popular Filipino fighters, if not the most popular’
According to reports, the slaying of Cali could be a crime of passion. He has been linked to a young woman who is said to have a boyfriend from the military.
