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By Eddie G. Alinea, Contributor
The historic Crispa-Toyota rivalry in the
Philippine Basketball Association during its first decade of
existence will be revived during the “Grand Reunion Tour of
Philippine Basketball Greats” scheduled next month in four key
cities in California.
This is because players from the Redmanizers and
the Super Corollas, who squared off in many classic battles for
supremacy in the first professional league in the country and in
Asia for that matter, form the core of the two teams that will be
playing on March 9 at the Pavilion Gym in Union City; March 9 at the
Arco Arena, home of the Kings, in Sacramento; March 15 at the CAL
State Dominguez Hills in Carson City and March 16 at the Peterson
Gym in San Diego.
They are Redmanizers Atoy Co, Philip Cezar, Bogs
Adornado, Abet Guidaben, Bernie Fabiosa, Yoyoy Villamin and Danny
Florencio and Corollas Sonny Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez, Francis
Arnaiz, Abe King, Estoy Estrada, Big Boy Reynoso, Tim Coloso and
Roberto Concepcion.
Latter-day heroes Alvin Patrimonio, Allan Caidic,
Hector Calma, Vergel Meneses, Johnny Abarrientos, Jojo Lastimosa,
Jerry Codinera, Bong Alvarez, Ronnie Magsanoc, Dindo Pumaren and Art
de la Cruz will be reinforcing the two teams, according to Ruffy
Ignacio, secretary-treasurer of the organizing PBA Legends USA
Foundation in an online interview with The Manila Times.
Other players seeing action are Manila-based
Manny Paner, Gerry Esplana, Manny Victorino and Sonny Cabatu,
US-based Ricardo Brown, Rudolf Kutch, Joy Cleofas, Onchie de la
Cruz, Yves Dignadice, Marte Saldana, Rino Salazar, Noni Robles, Cris
Bade, Bokyo Lauchengco, Etok Lobo, Dennis Abbatuan, Allan de los
Reyes, Elmer Lago, Jun Jabar, Oni Padilla, Jun Paguinto, Django
Rivera, Peter Aguilar, Romy de la Rosa, Naning Valenciano, Boy
Valera, Anthony Dasalla, Rey Yncierto, Jose Francisco and Danny
Basilan.
An idea of PBA Legends USA Foundation Chairman
(Abe) King, known as the “Chairman of the Board” during his
competitive days, the Grand Reunion Tour is made possible with the
support of San Miguel Corp., Martin Purefoods, Accel, Ohana Harbor
Coffee, Philippine News, LBC, Weekend Balita and Island Pacific
Supermarket.
The project is an initial attempt to express the
players’ concern not only of Philippine basketball, but, likewise
of the Filipinos back home. Its proceeds are intended for
scholarship grants to poor and deserving students in the country,
medical and dental missions, low-cost housing through Gawad Kalinga,
basketball clinics in depressed urban areas and the like.
The Tour, said Ignacio, is a celebration of the
wonderful times the players spent together while playing as
teammates and as opponents from their amateur days until the
professional years.
“That is why we at the PBA Legends USA
Foundation, from Abe [King] to members of the board, among them,
Rino [Salazar], Marte [Saldana] and Noni [Robles] are very thankful
to the players for their positive response in our call to support
the project,” Ignacio said.
“As in the words of Francis [Arnaiz], this is
one way for us to bring back what Philippine basketball has done for
us to be what we are now, he added.
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