Globalport’s Arejola looms as next PBA chairman

MANILA, Philippines — Globalport official Erick Arejola looms as the next PBA chairman of the league’s 41st season.

San Miguel Corp. executive Robert Non is supposed to be next in line, being the current vice chairman of the PBA Board of Governors, but having undergone a quadruple bypass operation last Feb. 10 make him unfit to take the post.

Non suffered a mild heart attack and is still recovering at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Quezon City.

“I still have to fully make up my mind, but the doctors have ordered a complete rest for me,” said Non in an interview with pba.inquirer.net.

Non added that he needs at least four months of rest and it would take an even longer time for him to fully recuperate.

Non also said he is “90 percent” sure he won’t be the one presiding over the PBA Board next season.

Arejola, 34, is a former head of basketball operations of Globalport and is currently overseeing ground operations of AirAsia.

But Arejola admitted that being the next league chairman is far from his mind at the moment.

“Hindi ko muna iniisip yon (I’m not thinking about that yet),” he said.

Before the start of the current season, Non was supposed to be the league chairman after Ely Capacio’s untimely death. But Non begged off and Patrick Gregorio took the role.

The 41st Season of the Asia’s longest running professional league opens in October.