SMB-Philippines to join Asean Basketball League

FORMER champions AirAsia Philippine Patriots are about to get their toughest title challenger in the upcoming season of the Asean Basketball League (ABL) after the organization welcomed its newest member, the San Miguel Beermen-Philippines in a press conference held yesterday at the San Miguel Corp. offices in Ortigas.

The team also introduced head coach and former seven-time PBA Best Import awardee, Bobby Parks, who said that he is looking forward to building a squad that is feisty on defense and quick on offense. As of now, they are currently piling up a list composed of former and current PBA players who they want to invite for tryouts.

Sources close to the team though, said the Beermen are keen on getting the University of Cebu’s prized big man, 6-foot-10 Junemar Fajardo when the league opens its new season in January of next year.

Parks said that he is positively beaming at the thought of having the reigning Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (CESAFI) MVP on his team.

UC team manager lawyer Baldomero Estenzo said that a stint in the ABL for Fajardo is a viable option that they might want to explore.

“It really is an option that Fajardo can take up before he gets into the PBA draft. Personally, I want him to be with San Miguel because I know that they take good care of their players well beyond their playing years. But that decision is ultimately up to Junemar and his parents,” said Estenzo yesterday.

Another team from Indonesia, expected to be Satria Muda BritAma’s chief rival Garuda Bandung, and a squad from Vietnam are among teams that are reportedly being eyed to join the ABL aside from the Philippines. /Correspondent Jonas Panerio