Smart, Coke, Harbour back RP five quest

Smart, Coca-Cola and Harbour Centre have signified their intention to help fund the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas’ long-term program for the national team with a mission of earning a stint to the London Olympics in 2012.

SBP vice-chairman Ricky Vargas told The STAR yesterday that the three companies have expressed their desire to help the elite men’s team the way Nokia and Tao Corp. have been doing to the national youth squad.

Vargas said SBP is looking for a patron that will bankroll the RP team’s expenses from this year all the way to its participation in the FIBA-Asia Championship in 2011 which the national federation would bid to host.

Vargas, also a member of the PBA board representing Talk n Text, has a separate task of working with PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios in search of sponsors for the PBA-backed national team set to represent the country in the Asian joust next year.

“Smart, Coca-Cola and Harbour Centre are all offering to sponsor the SBP team. But it’s possible that one of them would be invited to sponsor the PBA-backed RP team,” said Vargas.

The PBA board approved lending players to the RP team for next year’s world qualifier but left to the SBP the task of looking for sponsors.

Barrios and coach Yeng Guiao are set to meet soon to discuss, among other things, the ballpark figure needed for the campaign.

The PBA board is looking at the original budget given the RP team to the Tokushima FIBA-Asia tourney last year. Apparently, it’s pegged at P25 million but the team overshot the budget with several training trips abroad.

Guiao said he’s willing to work within the budget to be given him by the league.

Nokia and Tao Corp. earmarked close to P90 million in a four-year program for the youth team. More may be needed for SBP’s long-term national team program, patterned after successful NCC team of Danding Cojuangco in the 80s.

Serbian coach Rajko Toroman is set to return in the country on Oct. 20 to start running the program. He’ll pick the players for the pool to be given extensive training for the next three years.

Among the players being eyed are Ateneo’s Chris Tiu, Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Nonoy Baclao and Ryan Buenafe, La Salle’s Rico Maierhofer and JV Casio, San Beda’s Ogie Menor and Jake Pascual, Jose Rizal’s Mark Sena and John Wilson and San Sebastian’s Arvie Bringas.

SBP executive director Noli Eala has said they will also look for Fil-foreign hopefuls abroad and possibly a tall player willing to be naturalized to play for the country.

The SBP team will be the same squad to be sent to the next SEA Games, Asian Games and other FIBA tourneys before the 2011 FIBA-Asia Olympic qualifier.