THE PHILIPPINE Basketball League (PBL), in its own little way, will also honor Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao.
Citing Pacquiao’s courageous stand against Mexican Erik Morales in their blockbuster super featherweight bout in Las Vegas last week as a positive influence to the league’s crop of young players, commissioner Chino Trinidad yesterday announced the PBL is conferring an award it dubbed “Gawad ng Kagitingan” to the 26-year-old pride of General Santos City.
Trinidad said the special rite will be held as part of the special program ushering the 2005 season of the league this Saturday at the Makati Coliseum.
“We’re giving Manny Pacquiao this award for the great fighting spirit he showed against Erik Morales,” said Trinidad during the weekly PSA Forum at the Manila Pavilion.
This marks the second time the PBL is honoring a Filipino athlete for exemplary showing in an international competition after bestowing the award to Olympian and taekwondo jin Mary Antoinette Print this story Send this story Write the editor View other stories
Rivero in the last PBL Open championship.
Pacquiao lost the fight by a close unanimous decision.
Trinidad said he would personally invite Pacquiao to receive the award, and at the same time be the special guest in the season-opening tournament Unity Cup.
Monta?a Pawnshop is aiming to win back-to-back titles after bagging its breakthrough championship last conference, but is expected to get a lot of opposition from the rest of the pack that includes Welcoat-CSB, Magnolia-FEU, Toyota Otis-Letran, Granny Goose, Bacus Energy Drink (formerly Air Philippines) and newcomers Harbour Centre and Nenaco-San Beda.
“This is going to be a quick and exciting tournament especially with new teams like Harbour Centre and Nenaco-San Beda getting into the picture,” said Trinidad, now in his sixth season as head of the country’s premiere amateur league.
No change in format has been made, with the top two teams at the end of the eliminations earning outright berths to the semis and the other two at the bottom getting eliminated.
The remaining four squads then vie for two semis slots, with the Nos. 3 and 4 teams enjoying a twice-to-beat edge.
The semis is a best-of-three series and the finals a best-of-five affair.
