Hapee bids to seal smashing return

HAPEE Toothpaste looks to sustain its success in amateur basketball as it plunges back into Finals action in the PBA D-League.

The Fresh Fighters, whose franchise won four championships in the defunct PBL, nailed a title berth right on their maiden run in the Aspirants Cup.

“Our company is thrilled with this opportunity of being this close to completing our mission of winning the title on our first conference in the D-League,” said team owner Dr. Cecilio Pedro

The Fresh Fighters, who swept Cafe France in the semifinals, will battle the top-ranked Cagayan Valley in the best-of-three Finals starting tomorrow at Filoil Flying V Arena.

In the PBL, the Hapee franchise bagged the 1996 Reinforced Import Conference with Chinese recruit Ma Jian.

“That was the start of good things for the franchise,” said Hapee team manager Bernard Yang.

Hapee reigned anew in the 2002 PBL Chairman’s Cup, the 2003 Unity Cup and in the 2004 edition under the Fash Liquid banner.

And the Fresh Fighters vie to get back on top with an all-star cast led by two-time UAAP MVP Ray Parks and former league MVP Garvo Lanete.

“With the players meshing well under the leadership of coach Ronnie (Magsanoc), I’m confident that the team can bounce back against Cagayan despite our loss in the elimination round,” Yang said of the Fresh Fighters, who are also vying to avenge their lone loss of the conference against the Rising Suns. J. Payo