INQUIRER Sports

I’M A little confused about the Asian Basketball League or ABL.

I first heard about this league from Singapore-based Paul Monozca, who was introduced to me by businessman/sportsman Mikee Romero in Nakhon Ratchasima, Thailand during the 2007 Southeast Asian Games where he was a guest of Mikee.

That was over a year ago. At that time it wasn’t clear if the ABL was a name or only a concept.

Monozca said the Singapore Regional League, where he later would invite five PBA teams and Harbour Centre to play against the Singapore Slingers, was a forerunner of the Singapore-based ABL which was being formed then.

Paul and I would be talking about an Asian League again many months after in a recent visit to Manila.

This time Paul said he has had a change of heart. He said he feels Filipinos should run a regional basketball league and not any other Asean country since the Philippines is the ultimate basketball country in Southeast Asia.

I got the distinct impression that Paul was planning to single-handedly organize and market the ABL, making the Philippines its base of operations.

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Last week while in Singapore, I got word from Manila that Mikee was fielding a team in the ABL. This didn’t surprise me since Mikee and Paul have become close friends and business associates despite the short period that they had known each other.

What surprised me was the rapid development of events.

When I talked to Paul in Manila, he was just studying the possibilities, he had barely made the first tangible step.

I found out that Mikee’s ABL was not the same Asian league Paul had in mind.

Paul said he was asked by Bob Turner of the Singapore Slingers to join the ABL, but he turned it down.

“Because it will not be the Filipinos but the Malaysians who will be running the show. Since much will depend on our cagers for the success of this regional league, I believe we should have control of the organization and the benefits that will be derived from it,” Paul explained.

“Fiba-Asia secgen Dato Yeoh Choo Hock will head the ABL with Fiba-Asia officials sitting in the board and not the team owners.”

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Back in Manila, Mikee Romero informed me that while I was away, he had forged a partnership with ABC 5’s Tonyboy Cojuangco for the formation of an ABL team.

“Would you believe that Tonyboy is just as excited as I am about this team?” said Mikee, who has been preoccupied with the search for an appropriate name for his team.

“Maybe we should launch a contest. I want a name that will immediately connect to the Philippines or the Filipinos.”

Mikee said it was Turner who had invited him to join the ABL. He said the team owners will compose the ABL board and not Fiba-Asia officials.

The other day, Mikee got a text message from a Malaysian associate informing him that Nike is bringing NBA champion and finals MVP Kobe Bryant of the Los Angeles Lakers to Singapore on July 22.

“They want us to organize a short 20-minute exhibition game between the Singapore Slingers and an ABL selection. Can you release some of your players? This will be a great opportunity to promote the ABL,” the text read.

Incidentally, Manila is Kobe’s first destination in his tour of six Asian cities this July.

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HOOPVINE: Congratulations to the New Kanlaon Construction Inc. basketball team coached by former UP Maroon Duane Salvatera for winning the First Real Estate Developers basketball tournament title. Among the champion team’s most rabid rooters are company CEO Antonio Evangelista, president Rolando Narciso, VP Fernando Tan, team manager Teddy Lavines and Mr. Rolly Evangelista… The first edition of The Filipino Poker Tour was aired last night over Studio 23, Channel 17 at 11 p.m. The lucky viewer gets a chance to win a seat to Metro High 5.