INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines—Coca-Cola has officially retired Kenneth Duremdes as a player.

Team management recently came to terms with the former MVP Duremdes to remain calling the shots for the Tigers, at least for the coming import-flavored Fiesta Cup, which fires off Feb. 28.

“We have informally agreed to renew his (Duremdes’) services with the team,” said Coca-Cola team manager and board member JB Baylon, who added that there is no firm amount discussed in Duremdes’ new capacity.

Duremdes called the shots for the Tigers in the ongoing Philippine Cup. He was called from the reserved players’ list after management fired Binky Favis four games into the new season.

The soft-spoken Duremdes, who won the MVP plum in 1998 while with Alaska, had entertained thoughts of ending his playing career until the job came along.

“We are quite satisfied with his performance and we are hoping he will become the next Boyet Fernandez,” Baylon said, referring to the former player who steered Sta. Lucia Realty to last year’s Philippine Cup title in only his second conference as head coach of the Realtors.

Meanwhile, Air21 president and board member Lito Alvarez sees nothing standing in the way of the Express changing their name to the Burger King Whoppers.

Alvarez said that Burger King is a subsidiary of the Bert Lina Group of Companies, with Lina, who owns the Air21 franchise, owning 60-percent of the popular American burger chain in the country.

Commissioner Sonny Barrios had said before Christmas that his office was studying whether Air21 could be charged with fees since Burger King was considered a new franchise.

Manny V. Pangilinan, the tycoon who owns Talk ‘N Text, controls just 13 percent of Burger King, according to Alvarez.