Sultan 900 decision up Friday

MACAU—With the devastating monsoon rains in Manila delaying even the arrival of important documents in the sale of Coca-Cola’s PBA franchise to Sultan 900 Capital, Inc., the board will decide on the fate of the league’s newest member by Friday at the earliest.

The Office of the Commissioner has yet to receive the deed of assignment of the sale of the Coca-Cola franchise, leaving the league no choice but to defer voting on the application of Sultan 900 as the newest member.

“That’s the most important document of all,” said commissioner Chito Salud, who met the press together with newly elected chair Robert Non of Barangay Ginebra and vice chair Mon Segismundo of Meralco.

Mikee Romero, the basketball-enamored sportsman who bought the Coca-Cola franchise,  had told Salud in an overseas call that the DOA will be handed over to the league’s offices by Wednesday at the latest.

Romero would need at least seven votes to be able to participate in the league starting with the Philippine Cup on Sept. 30.

Salud said he had to go over the papers of Sultan 900 before making his recommendation to the board, though Non said during the same briefing that they “think that Sultan 900 has the capacity to run a PBA team.”

If accepted, the board has to rule on some concessions Romero has requested, including  getting the first overall choice in the rookie draft scheduled Sunday.

“Powerade  has a solid lineup and they can be competitive,” Salud said.

If Romero doesn’t get the needed seven votes on Friday, Salud said that Powerade would then have to apply for a leave of absence. “But after the season that passed, we won’t agree to play with just nine teams.”