COACH Pacquiao and PBA commissioner Salud seal KIA’s league debut with a handshake as CAC chair and PalawanGov. Jose “Pepito”Alvarez and president Ginia Domingo look on.
MANILA, Philippines — After KIA made its PBA stint official, its head coach, eight-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, promised to come up with a team honed by rigid training patterned after his intense buildup for championship fights.
“Mag-handa handa na sila (my players should brace themselves),” Pacquiao said Monday during Columbian Autocar Corp.’s official launch of its foray into the Philippine Basketball Association.
“Pagagalingin ko ang mga players sa training na gagawin ko sa kanila (I’ll turn them into great players with the training they’ll get.)”
Pacquiao, whose work ethic prior to fights is legendary, said he would be assembling a running team that will have defense as its main weapon.
“Our focus [will be to] stop [the other team from] scoring,” said Pacquiao, who merely smiled when asked about the prospects of facing Grand Slam-winning coaches Tim Cone and Norman Black and Yeng Guiao.
“Mga datihan na sila, mga players nila (They’re veterans, their players are) Class A,” he said, referring to the advantage the veteran mentors have over him. “Our focus will be on defense.”
Together with CAC chair and Palawan Gov. Jose Chavez Alvarez and league commissioner Chito Salud, Pacquiao’s first appearance as a basketball coach was a blockbuster at Salvatore Lounge of Pacific Star Building in Makati.
The Saranggani congressman’s huge entourage alone packed the place with sports and motoring media gracing the affair.
Alvarez said he is happy that his company is getting a lot of attention even before KIA can score its first PBA basket. And this, he said, was all because of Pacquiao, who Alvarez said can benefit most from his exposure in pro basketball.
As a coach, Alvarez said Pacquiao could gain even more followers to support his bid if he decides to seek a higher office in government in the future.
Pacquiao said that juggling his roles as lawmaker, boxer and coach entails serious time management.
He will be tested right away, however, with the 40th Season to open on Oct. 19 and his next fight slated on Nov. 23.
KIA is joining the PBA next season along with Ever Bilena, which will carry the name of Blackwater Sports, and Metro Pacific Investments Corp., which will play as the NLEX Road Warriors.
But the media frenzy has been on KIA because of Pacquiao and his rag-tag team’s fortunes in the league.
Since the PBA board did not grant direct-hire privileges to the expansion squads, each one will have to build its lineup through picks from the Rookie Draft, free agency and the expansion pool.