Spoelstra’s back in town

Just when everybody thought the NBA fever caused by the recent Manila invasion of NBA superstars led by Kobe Bryant was starting to cool down, Solar SVP Kayen Zialcita makes this rousing announcement:
“Tita Beth, your favorite NBA coach, Miami Heat’s Erik Spoelstra, is coming to town!!!”
Kayen said the Filipino-American mentor was due to arrive this weekend and probably, as you read this, may already be in Manila.
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The good news, according to Solar marketing manager (TV sports networks) James Meneses, is that Erik will not be here only for a whirlwind visit. As the NBA FIT ambassador to the Philippines, he will endorse and promote this program with various sports activities.
Solar owns the contract to the NBA games.
“Basically, coach Spoelstra’s activities will fall under the NBA Fit Campaign, so he’ll be conducting NBA Fit clinics in schools, malls, and one in Araneta for media and celebrities.
“You’re invited to join, tita. Also included in his itinerary are corporate visits and NBA Cares activities, which we will explain in more detail during the press conference scheduled on Monday,” James said.
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The same day the Azkals were to face Kuwait here in Manila, the Billiards League headed by its president Reli de Leon and director Perry Mariano, who is also head of the billiards managers association, held a small press conference to launch the second season of the newly-formed league.
The participants of the league, which has drawn double the field from last year, are basically students coming from such exclusive schools as Ateneo de Manila, De La Salle, College of St. Benilde, UST, UE, Lyceum, FEU, NU, Letran, among others.
“These are UAAP and NCAA schools. In time, we hope to include billiards in these collegiate schools,” Perry said.
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Aside from producing a new breed of world champions, the B-League’s objective is to change the image and profile of the billiards player.
“While they used to associate the sport with tambays, this time, the sport will be represented by students coming from very reputable schools,” Perry said.
Sympathizing with the Azkals who he said will take sometime before they can get to the top, Perry said the Filipino is already on top of the billiards world.
“We just have to develop new world champions to replace the older ones. Given the proper support, I am confident we can can develop world caliber players in two years from the students we are training now.”
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To trainer Freddie Roach, a fight between eight-division world boxing champion Manny Pacquiao and WBA light welterweight champion Amir Khan is absolutely unthinkable.
Ask him if it’s possible and this is what he’s likely to answer: “Over my dead body!!!”
Why is Roach staunchly against a Pacquiao-Khan fight?
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“I’m not going to let that happen because I train both fighters. They are not going to fight each other. They are both my fighters and and they are like sons to me. How can I let both my sons fight?” Roach was quoted on Boxing Scene.com as saying.
Roach said he has been with Manny for 10 years, while he has been with Amir for three years. Amir has also been sparring with Manny for three years, even coming to Manila to train, and they have become good friends.
“The three of us have a great relationship, why would I ruin that relationship?” Freddie said.
Khan successfully defended his title against Zab Judah via a fifth-round knockout last July 24.
Although Roach will never allow a fight between his top two boxers to happen, enthusiasts continue to speculate, since most of them look at a Pacquiao-Khan bout as “possibly the biggest fight at 147 pounds.”
Khan is scheduled to fight this December and a likely opponent is Erik Morales. Nothing more has been heard about negotiations for a Floyd Mayweather Jr.—Khan fight in 2012.