THE Philippine Basketball Association will form a selection committee in charge of choosing the next commissioner when the league board holds its first monthly meeting for 2018 next week.
The appointment of Willie Marcial as PBA officer in-charge is only good for a month or at least until the end of January.
A long-time PBA personnel who rose from the ranks, Marcial was appointed OIC after the resignation of former commissioner Chito Narvasa became effective at the start of the year.
“Hindi ko naman alam kung ibibigay sa atin, kung ano yung expectations nila, at kung ano rin ‘yung expectations ko sa kanila. Kaya hindi ko rin masabi. No comment ako. Hihintayin ko na lang na matapos ko ‘yung 30 days,” said Marcial, who was the special guest in the first Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum for the year at the Tapa King Restaurant, Farmer’s Market in Cubao on Wednesday.
But if asked regarding the qualities of the next league chief, Marcial mentioned two major attributes.
“Dapat abugado o kaya (may alam) sa marketing,” said Marcial in the public sports program presented by San Miguel Corp., Tapa King and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp. “Kasi tatakbo naman ‘yung liga kapag ito ang mga kasama mo. Alam na nila ‘yung sistema dahil matatagal na sila dito.”
“Kaya kung sinuman ang magiging commissioner ng PBA, huwag siyang mag-alala sa mga empleyado ng liga dahil hindi nila ito pababayaan,” he added.
Marcial, the long-time league external affairs and communications head, was joined in the weekly session by PBA and D-League technical director Eric Castro, technical official Roscelle Teotico, D-League tournament supervisor Junior Bengua, and Tapa King
vice chairman Julius Magallanes, who reiterated his all-out support to the weekly Forum.
“Nakita ko ‘yung impact ng sports (sa tao) like discipline and competitiveness. I think malaking tulong ito para sa mga kabaatan na malayo sa mga bisyo. And this is one of our advocacies in our company,” said Magallanes.
Castro, meanwhile, also made use of the opportunity to invite the public for the opening of the D-League Aspirants’ Cup on Thursday.
Marinerong Pilipino battles Zark’s Jawbreakers in the lone opening game at the Ynares Sports Arena.