MANILA, Philippines—Harbour Centre owner Mikee Romero was as nervous and excited as the PBA applicants on draft day.

Several of his players in the Philippine Basketball League and the national team were in the amateur pool and Mikee was kept guessing as to what fate awaits them.

Will one of them be the top pick? How many will be in the PBA this season? Will there be any left for Harbour Centre when the drafting is over?

Much as he probably wanted to, Mikee declined an invitation to come to Market Market! Mall in Taguig City last Sunday to attend the live proceedings. He said he’d rather watch the event on television at home.

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As soon as the draft was over, an ecstatic Mikee was on the phone. He said his players sold like hotcakes.

“Naubos, all of them were drafted. None is left for Harbour Center.” Although the top pick Gabe Norwood didn’t come from his team, Mikee said the Fil-Am cager also played for the Philippine team formed and sponsored by Harbour Centre.

“If we are to include Norwood, Larry Rodriguez, another RP team player, who was picked ninth overall by Red Bull and practice players Mark Borboran (6th) and Bonbon Custodio (8th), then 80 percent of the first round draftees came from Harbour Centre,” he said.

The PBL regulars were Jason Castro, the third pick; Robin Reyes (No. 4), Solomon Mercado (No. 5) and Beau Belga (No. 7).

In the second round, Mikee said six of the nine players picked were also products of Harbour Centre: Practice player Chito Jaime, who went to Sta. Lucia Realty, RP cager Pong Escobal, who was picked by TNT, and PBL players TY Tang, Kelvin de la Peña, Jonathan Fernandez and Jeff Chan who were picked by Rain or Shine, Alaska, Purefoods and Red Bull, respectively.

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Fourteen out of l9 draftees? That’s not a bad record at all. Mikee said he’s both happy and proud that his development program is working, proven by the outcome of the PBA draft.

“But why do I also feel a tinge of sadness” he mused.

“Maybe it’s like losing a family with whom you’ve been so close.”

Last Tuesday I bumped into Mikee at the PBA Press Corps Awards night. He gave me two folded pieces of paper. He said it contained the names of all Harbour Centre players who are now playing in the PBA, minus of course those who were only drafted last Sunday.

I must admit it is quite an impressive list: MacMac Cardona, LA Tenorio, Magnum Membrere, Larry Fonacier, Paolo Bugia, Ronjay Buenafe, Gabby Espinas, Robert Sanz, Joseph Yeo, JC Intal, Ryan Arana, Jojo Duncil, Chico Lanete, Ronjay Enrile, Dennis Daa and Christian Coronel.

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The annual PBA draft was going on the sixth pick of the first round when I arrived at Market Market last Sunday, still reeling from the 10 l/2-hour flight from Dubai to Bahrain to Manila.

My colleagues informed me that PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios had made reference to a remark I made in my column about how lengthy his talk was during last year’s draft, which is why he is cutting it short this time.

The funny thing, they said, is that it was almost as long as last year’s.

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So guess who’s flying to Doha, Qatar, this time, to challenge the undefeated (by a Philippine team) Qatar National team?

Purefoods, that’s who.

I still have to ask coach Ryan Gregorio what his game plans are, and if it is his serious objective to break the losing spell cast by the Qataris on visiting RP teams.

Sta. Lucia was the last to be conquered by the Qataris.

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Like Magnolia, which is back to its former team name San Miguel Beer, Talk ‘N Text is thinking of switching to the brand name Smart.

Smart sports marketing head Pato Gregorio is all for the change, although he said he will still have to secure the blessing of Philippine Long Distance Telephone Co. (PLDT) chair Manny V. Pangilinan.

If MVP gives his OK, Pato said he may launch a contest to find a catchy moniker for the Smart team.