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COMMISSIONER Chino Trinidad on Thursday thanked the legion of PBL
fans, especially those in the provinces, for their tremendous
support of the ongoing Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup finals between
Hapee Toothpaste and Harbour Centre.
Trinidad said the huge crowd that filled the
newly-built Batangas City Sports Center during Game 1 of the
on-going best-of-5 finals series was just another heart-warming
episode of the season-ending tournament.
“Nakakataba ng puso ang reception namin hindi
lamang sa Batangas pati na rin sa Cavite, Tarlac and Baguio,” said
Trinidad, who was informed by the Batangas organizers, led by Fr.
Leonido Dolor, that more than 6,000 fans watched Wednesday’s game.
That crowd, according to Trinidad, was the
biggest since the titular showdown between Hapee (Fast Liquid
Detergent) and Welcoat Paints in 2004. Game 5 of that title series
was played at the Philsports Arena.
Though it requires a lot of effort, not to
mention the time and money, bringing entertainment to the
countryside is part of the league’s main thrust.
“Aside from bringing the sport closer to the
basketball fans, by doing so, we are also helping our teams expand
their market in the provinces,” said Trinidad.
The PBL held games either at the historic Rizal
Memorial Coliseum and air-conditioned The Arena in San Juan during
the elimination round while some quarterfinal games were held in
Malabon and Muntinlupa.
Hapee Toothpaste took Game 1, 74-73, while Game
2 will be on Saturday in Trece Martires, Cavite.
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