INSIDE SPORTS - DEBACLE IN DUBAI
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 05 Jul 2011
It is obvious that the PBA failed to conduct a background check and conduct due diligence on the ability of the promoter, in the much hyped PBA games in Dubai, the Filipino Basketball Center headed by Ramon Pizarras, which resulted in a debacle in Dubai, at least for the Talk N? Text team.
The Tropang Texters players and coaching staff were unable to board their flight back to Manila after the travel agency reportedly cancelled their tickets because of non-payment by the promoter.
Lucky for them the two San Miguel Corporation teams, Ginebra and B Meg as well as the PBA officials were able to make it, leaving Talk N? Text to effectively fend for themselves.
This is unthinkable. At least someone from the PBA Commissioner?s Office should have first made sure that all the teams were aboard before they stepped into the plane. Turns out they were among the first to board which showed a complete lack of responsibility since the PBA arranged the games and dealt with the Dubai promoter.
What is even worse is that Talk N? Text officials had to buy their own tickets using the cash they had and banking on personal credit cards. The players were booked on separate flights and according to Aboy Castro they were still looking for flights for the coaches and utility staff who checked in for some rest at the Dusit Thani hotel at night.
It is imperative that the PBA review its plans for provincial and more importantly international games. The distressing part is that the PBA was apparently advised that the promoter had mishandled the recent Ateneo-La Salle game in Dubai. A respected Dubai businessman informed us that this was not the first time these people defaulted on their commitments. Besides, the PBA games were originally scheduled in May and when they were delayed because the promoter couldn?t pay the required PBA game fees, league officials should have sensed the risk and cancelled the games.
Truth to tell the PBA was taken for a ride and Commissioner Chito Salud will surely have to withdraw his commitment to play for the next five years in Dubai. But beyond that someone must be held responsible for this fiasco.
The most disturbing aspect is that Talk N? Text was left to fend for themselves while efforts to inform Willie Marcial of their plight were useless since he had already checked in and Tropang Texters officials could only contact him by phone.
It should not be acceptable for the PBA to pass all the blame to the Filipino promoter because the league should have checked out his reputation and his financial ability to stage such a big project. This is basic.
It would also be interesting to find out just how many PBA staff went to Dubai because if they were as many as 15 as we were informed, the right thing to do would have been to give up their seats for the players while the PBA officials stayed behind to work things out.
This reminds us of another recent fiasco in the All Star Weekend in Boracay where the PBA chose a sponsor without any track record, Carlo Quevada, who failed to deliver and the PBA had to pick up the tab although he promised to pay up later.
Let?s face it. The PBA is in trouble in terms of dwindling attendance, a downswing in TV ratings and increasing public disinterest. The thousands who braved the rain and cheered for the Azkals at the Rizal Memorial with a fervor we haven't seen in decades only serves to underscore the dire straits into which the PBA has fallen. This latest disaster in Dubai is certain to hurt the league even more which is a pity since it could very well have been avoided.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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