Pacquiao Aguilas make ABL debut
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Wed, 28 Oct 2015
Pacquiao Powerevit Pilipinas Aguilas debuts against the Thailand Mono Vampires in the Fifth ASEAN Basketball League today at the USEP Gym in Davao City.
The Aguilas, who are filling the void left by 2013 champion San Miguel Beer and several other previous teams, battle the Mono Vampires in the lone 7 p.m. showdown hoping to do justice to the country's reputation as the Southeast Asian region's basketball kingpin.
The Philippines, one of the six nations that founded this first regional professional league in the sport in 2009, has won the annual tournament twice with the PH Patriots reigning supreme in the inaugural staging in 2009 and the Beermen following suit two years ago.
SMB management decided go skip last year's tournament, leaving the Philippines with no participation.
Coach Zaldy Realubit's Aguilas, built around former PBA campaigners, led by two-time PBA MVP Willie Miller, and several collegiate standouts, headed by Niko Elorde of Ateneo, have been in deep preparation for the past two weeks at the Balajadia Gym in Quezon City.
Two-time PBA Best import Arizona Reid of SMB and 6-foot-9 Cameronian behemoth Charles Mammie are reinforcing the team, being supported by boxing legend Manny Pacquiao.
The Aguilas neat the visiting Saigon Heat black and blue, 113-87, in their only tuneup game.
Paquiao said he agreed to lend his support to the team as his way of helping the promotion and growth of basketball in the ASEAN region.
"I was approached by the people behind the formation of the team who told me the Philippines is an original member of the ABL when it was organized and that we have not been represented the past couple of years," Pacquiao said in reference to businessmen-sportsmen Dick Balajadia, Sergei Orillo and Nino Natividad, among others.
"Naisip ko na basketball ang favorite pastime ng ating mga kababayan, bakit naman hindi tayo naglalaro sa torneo na isa ang Pilipinas sa mga nagtatag," he said.
"Besides, sa paglahok natin, se will be able to give our OFW countrymen the happiness and pride to be Filipinos na manonood ng games sa Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, etc where games will be held,"
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