THE Philippine Basketball Association finally has a new commissioner and there’s little surprise as to who it is.
The league formally appointed longtime member and erstwhile Officer in Charge (OIC) Willie Marcial as its commissioner yesterday.
With the board’s familiarity with him and his healthy relationship to every member team, league officials found it easy to name Marcial as the new man in charge of the PBA.
The PBA board came up with the decision to elevate Marcial as commissioner in its first monthly meeting of the year in the league office.
Marcial was given a three-year term to serve as the chief of Asia’s first play-for-pay league.
Marcial is the tenth PBA commissioner, following Leo Prieto, Mariano Yenko, Rudy Salud, Rey Marquez, Jun Bernardino, Noli Eala, Sonny Barrios, Chito Salud and Chito Narvasa.
The board did away with a tedious search process, deeming it better at this time to appoint Marcial as permanent commissioner of the league in a “healing process” after going through a difficult situation at the end of the previous PBA season.
“He’ll help us through. He’ll be the healing commissioner,” said PBA chairman Ricky Vargas on the appointment of Marcial.
Marcial, 56, is from Batangas City
Vargas said no member of the board stood against Marcial’s appointment.
“It was an appointment without any objection. The PBA board gave that go-signal without objection,” said Vargas.
“As you know the PBA board has gone through a very difficult time before the opening of this season. And we’re looking for somebody that can put it together and help us heal the process as there will be a lot of changes as we move along.”
The PBA chairman said it was important to select someone from within the PBA family.
“At this time, it’s important to give it to somebody who grew up in the PBA, who understands the PBA, the by-laws; who has been mentored by many PBA commissioners in the past. He’s one who has learned over the years in the PBA,” said Vargas.
Marcial has been part of the PBA management team from the time of Eala. He rose all the way from being a statistician during the time of Prieto then floor director with TV coveror Vintage Enterprises from the tenures of Salud to Bernardino. With report from the wires
