Pro league to tackle sale of Sta. Lucia

(From Manila Standard)   

PHILIPPINE Basketball Association Chairman Rene Pardo said the sale of the Sta. Lucia Realty franchise to Meralco is likely to be formalized during the board of governors’ meeting on Aug. 10.

Pardo said it was sad to see the departure of former chairman and Sta. Lucia Realty governor Buddy Encarnado, who has been associated with the PBA for the past 18 years.

After months of speculation, the deal was finalized last Friday with the payment of the final installment by Meralco. The approval of the PBA board is likely to be a mere formality.

However, there was some good news for the PBA concerning another troubled franchise – Barako Bull, whose board representative lawyer Manny Mendoza informed the board that they plan to participate in the coming 2010-2011 season.

“We asked them outright what their plans were because it would be difficult if they suddenly leave,” said Pardo.

However, he disclosed that Commissioner Sonny Barrios had spoken to Barako Bull team owner George Chua and he had signified their intention to participate.

Pardo pointed out that the co-branding plan, which the PBA is formalizing, “would allow teams to accept a subsidiary or a non-competitive company,” which would be allowed to use their logo on the playing jerseys and help the team financially in exchange for the exposure.

The chairman said it was done in the on-going conference on an experimental basis, with Harbour Center of Mikee Romero teaming up with Barako Bull.

Chito: I’m here to make a difference

(From Manila Standard)

CHITO Loyzaga, like the rest of his siblings, grew up in the shadow of his father Caloy, one of the greatest Filipino basketball players that ever lived.

The elder Loyzaga, a former Olympian, was immortalized by sports historians and named as The Big Difference, for both his scoring and defensive prowess.

Chito went on to earn his own laurels, playing for National Collegiate Athletic Association champion team San Beda College and later in the Philippine Basketball Association, where he won a number of titles for Toyota, Great Taste and Ginebra.

Like his father before him, Chito suited up for the national team, and helped the RP squad win a silver medal in the 1990 Beijing Asian Games.

But Chito, now 52, said that he didn’t expect that he would play a totally different role when he was named as one of the new commissioners of the Philippine Sports Commission, along with former tennis head Buddy Andrada and baseball’s Jolly Gomez.

“This (role as PSC commissioner) is certainly a big challenge for me, a test of my character and capabilities. In truth, I wasn’t really expecting it (to happen), but since I really love sports and has been involved with it even after my playing days, I recognized the opportunity to be able to help national athletes realize their dreams.”

He added: “ I was a national athlete before, same with my father and brother Joey, and I know how it feels to represent the country and experience goosebumps when the Philippine flag is raised. I guess this is simple a way of giving back what I have gained from sports. You can say I was at the right place at the right time.”

After his playing days, Loyzaga had stints as a PBA team manager and commissioner of the now-defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association. He also helped organize baseball tournaments with a company he formed with the late Jun Bernardino, among others.

This is why when he accepted the PSC post, he had to make some sacrifices to fully focus on his new job.

“I had to divest myself from business so there would be no conflict of interest, and it has been a long time since I have been reporting to office on a daily basis. I expect to be very busy and to be on the go all the time even as our roles still have not been clearly defined as we had a late turn-over,” Loyzaga added.

It helps that his family, particularly his wife Toni, shares his deep love for sports. It also works to his advantage that his two older kids are now grown-ups and reside in Scotland and Australia.

Loyzaga, though, pointed out that he accepted the job as PSC Commissioner not for his personal interest.

“I am not here for any personal gain, this is not about me at all, but about the athletes. I know there will be a lot of expectations and I am ready to buckle down to work,” he said.

He didn’t have to say it in many words, but Chito wants to make a big difference, too, just like his father.