INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines?A partnership with a winning legacy has again expressed its desire to spearhead the Philippines? march back to Southeast Asia?s basketball throne.

Despite the uncertainty of basketball?s entry to the calendar of events for the 2009 SEA Games, the Philippine Basketball League and Harbour Centre on Friday signified its intention to form and bankroll the men?s and women?s teams for the next biennial meet in Laos.

?We?re ready to spearhead the country?s double gold bid in next year?s SEA Games,? said Harbour owner and PBL chair Mikee Romero, who appeared at the Scoop Forum together with Harbour manager Erick Arejola at Kamayan Restaurant on Padre Faura.

League commissioner Chino Trinidad believes that backing both teams is a ?big challenge? that has started with the revival of the Women?s PBL, a league that will start together with the regular season on Nov. 8.

The RP women?s team, reinforced by Fil-Am standout Vicky Brick, nearly missed the last SEA Games due to the lack of sponsors.

The RP cagerettes eventually won the bronze, behind host Thailand and Malaysia.

?We want to help our women?s team in our own little way,? said Trinidad. ?We saw in Thailand that with a little more support, the team could be at par, if not beat the likes of Malaysia and Thailand.?

The All-PBL squad bankrolled by Harbour Centre came prepared for the SEA Games last year and walloped the opposition by an average of 43 points en route to the gold medal.

Romero said a total of P25 million was spent to finance the campaign last year.

By taking the women?s team under its wing, Romero estimated that they would infuse P10 to P15 million more to fund the entire basketball campaign.

The PBL-Harbour proposal would have to be approved by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, although Trinidad said they are willing to follow the direction set by the SBP, which has tapped Serbian coach Rajko Toroman as project director.

But Romero said he favors the same coaching staff of Junel Baculi and assistant Louie Alas to handle the team.