INQUIRER Sports

IMPRESSIVE! Owners of the newly formed Asean Basketball League personally made an appearance during its formal launching last September l at the Renaissance Hotel in Makati.

Doubly impressive was the fact that about half of the team owners flew to Manila in their own private jets like Brunei?s Nadzaty Azma Azeez, who?s in the electronics and electrical business and is into basketball for the first time.

Though she most likely is Western-educated, since she speaks good English, Nadzaty still wears the traditional Muslim headgear.

Then there?s Air Asia?s Tony Fernandes of Malaysia, who came for the event in a huge, commercial airbus with only a handful of passengers aboard. Tony and his entourage arrived in Manila Tuesday morning and left for Malaysia in the afternoon of the same day.

It was Tony, a mutual friend of businessmen Mikee Romero and Tonyboy Cojuangco, who brought the two together to form a partnership and an ABL team they have dubbed as The Philippine Patriots.

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?They?re so much fun to be with,? said Tonyboy, a pioneer member of the newest billionaire sporting club.

?We only met today and already we?re very comfortable with each other. It?s a fun group.?

Tonyboy owns ABC-5 which used to be the television coverer of the PBA before Solar Sports took over. He said members of the ABL look at the league not only as a sporting activity but also as a venue for business opportunities on the Southeast Asian level.

Tonyboy said ABC-5 would be covering the ABL games for television while his partner Mikee will provide the expertise in forming and running the team.

For the September l launch, the five other teams had brought in their own television crew and print media entourage.

?I?m sure the league will be a success, considering that owners, company CEOs and high-ranking executives are behind the organization,? said Tonyboy brimming with enthusiasm. With him at the Chinese dinner hosted by Mikee for the ABL delegation was ABC-5?s marketing head Bobby Barreiro.

Word had it that Mikee?s newest business partner in port operations, Manny V. Pangilinan, may also field a team in the future. Each country is allowed to field two teams under the ABL format.MVP was one of the guests at the dinner.

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Swimming coach Susan Papa did it again!

Last August, Susan and her swimmers were invited to participate in the 5th SICC Championship, a prestigious swimming competition held in Singapore.

Susan accepted the invitation not expecting any snag since the event was not under the jurisdiction of the Fina, swimming?s international ruling body.

Susan and her l9 swimmers were already in Singapore when they were informed that the organizers could not allow them to swim.

Pasa president Mark Joseph had called the organizers with a warning that if Susan?s group was allowed to swim without Pasa sanction, this ?violation? would be reported to the Fina and the Singapore Swimming Association would be suspended.

Naturally, that threw Susan into frenzy. She called the highest Singapore swimming officials. She rang the Fina headquarters then called Algeria and Egypt trying to track down the Fina official who could decide on such matter. But she never got down calling Mark Joseph and begging for a permit.

It was not needed, she was finally informed, after several hundreds of dollars spent on overseas calls and going through severe stress.

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HOOPVINE: Belated happy birthday to Wilson Tieng, president and CEO of Solar Entertainment. Wilson turned 56 Saturday, but the weeklong festivities continue, capped by a big, celebrity-studded soiree at the Manila Polo Club. Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao and fellow world champions Brian Viloria and Nonito Donaire Jr. will present a song number each? Here?s hoping Nonito, who was down with dengue recently, recovers in time for the grand bash? Greetings also to my friend Dr. Cardie Roque, deputy secretary general of the House of Representatives and Psa vice president. The summa cum laude graduate of San Beda College will turn 51 on September 7 with a big barbecue blowout for all his friends and associates.