Return of PBL pillars to boost league

The comeback of two staunch pillars of the PBL — RFM through The Food Corp. and San Miguel Corp. through Viva Mineral Water — plus the entry of Nutri-licious will play crucial roles as the league opens its new season dubbed "Sunkist-PBL 2003 Unity Cup" tomorrow at the San Juan gym.

RFM joins the league this time as title sponsor of the 2003 season kickoff conference as it renews its commitment to basketball development in the country.

The food conglomerate has always been at the forefront of amateur basketball and in fact, RFM president and CEO Joey Concepcion III was the longest serving league chairman for 12 years.

"The PBL had been successful in its thrust of discovering and developing amateur cagers for the past 20 years. With the calibrated regional concept, the league intensifies that thrust of discovering talents from the countryside and at the same time, takes on that more significant role in unifying the country as one Filipino nation through the 2003 Unity Cup," said Concepcion.

SMC, on the other hand, was one of the founding members through Eduardo "Danding" Cojuangco who actually envisioned the creation of then Philippine Amateur Basketball League in 1983.

Cojuangco was feted twice, the last was during the formal launching of the Sunkist-PBL 2003 Unity Cup Thursday night at the Mega Mall.

Now the multi-national company rejoins the league’s thrust for amateur basketball through Viva Mineral Water bannered by the Far Eastern University core and will carry the monicker "Water Force".

Nutri-licious, carrying the franchise of Shark, will go on in PBL history as the first team in the new season as the Rogelio Nemeño-owned company hopes to create an impact early under coach Monel Kallos.