‘Pangasinan Heat’ to spark youth development through basketball
BASKETBALL fever burns bright in Pangasinan with the official entry of the “Pangasinan Heat” in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL).
Dr. Cezar Quiambao, the franchise owner of Pangasinan Heat, said organizing the team is one way of supporting the basketball players in the province to further hone their skills.
Quiambao said Pangasinan Heat, the 29th team in the MPBL, is a symbol of the province’s constant heat of the sun, which is the main ingredient in the production of salt, or “asin,” from which the province derived its name.
“This could really be the tool to market the province of Pangasinan aside from youth development,” he said.
The team manager, Alaminos City Mayor Arth Bryan Celeste, said the team’s motivation for joining the MPBL is to reap respect and honor for Pangasinan.
Celeste said the majority of the team is composed of 8 to 10 Pangasinan homegrown players.
“But we cannot avoid getting imports from other provinces if we want to be a formidable team. So we are getting five to seven imports outside Pangasinan,” he said.
Meanwhile, Governor Ramon Guico III expressed his full support for the team that aims to promote sports development.
“This will give our youth something to strive for when they participate in sports,” Guico said, adding that it will support the provincial government’s goal of fostering greater growth in society.
Guico clarified that since the team is a franchise, the fund will be coming from the franchise owner and no government fund will be used.
Among the well-known basketball players from Pangasinan and introduced as team consultants were Marlou Aquino, Danny Ildefonso, and Lordy Tugade.
The opening of the next season is on March 16 and will be held in Calasiao town. (PIA Pangasinan/ EMSA,lMSA, MANP)
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