MVP's insatiable passion

A respected corporate genius, Manuel V. Pangilinan, or MVP, is as passionate with sports and sports development as in business. His professional manner in running and managing his enterprises should set an example from which national sports associations (NSA) could draw inspiration from.

In one interview, MVP pointed out that NSAs must first and foremost be run with credibility and professional expertise, as well as being adept at fund raising and fund management. He also welcomed the opportunity to help NSAs formulate plans and strategies including on how to source, manage, and use funds effectively.

Aside from encouraging the populace to take up a more active and healthier lifestyle, MVP is bent on boosting sports development as it is also a way to promote competitiveness in people. And for some, sports could even offer a ticket out of poverty.

Helping sports

Currently, MVP through Smart Sports has backed taekwondo, weightlifting, tennis, boxing and cycling, and professional, collegiate and the national basketball teams/leagues, including the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) with the hope that others in the corporate community would follow suit, support Philippine sports, and reap benefits for the country.

MVP believes that long-term commitment, program continuity and corporate support will make for a successful basketball program fitted for international competitions like the Asiad or Olympics.

Hard court fumble

The MVP-backed Smart Gilas Team Pilipinas basketball squad in Guangzhou clearly had ample corporate support, but having been in existence for only a year, needs to be tested by time.

Sponsored by Smart Communications, Smart Gilas is composed of collegiate and amateur standouts whose supposed ultimate goal is to reach the 2012 London Olympics. The Philippine men’s national basketball team, formed in early 2009, is operating under a long term program, one of these being its participation in the recent Asiad.

Relegated to a medal-less sixth place finish, Smart Gilas clearly has to tweak its program if it is serious about reaching its 2012 goal. There were clearly some areas that could be improved on. For example, last minute changes should be avoided.

When one player was loaned by his mother team from the professional league too late, the team might have acquired an offensive and defensive gem to address its height problem, but it could not make up for the team’s lack of cohesiveness and chemistry.

Individual and team commitment

Smart Gilas actually had three other players loaned by PBA teams: 6’9” Asi Taulava of Meralco, Kelly Williams of Talk N’ Text and Rain or Shine’s Solomon Mercado. They had to play with alongside long-time members of the national team.

But when four key amateur members of the team quit and opted to try their luck in the professional ranks, plus the delay in the naturalization papers to 6’10” American reinforcement Marcus Douthit, the Smart Gilas team suffered irreparable damages.

Latest word is that even the team’s 6’9” prized Fil-Am find from Cebu is set to leave and join the UAAP, further affecting the team’s long-term plan, which is preparing for tournaments where slots to the London Olympiad is at stake.

When erstwhile basketball godfather Eduardo “Danding” Cojuangco formed his RP-Northern Cement National Team, the core of the team, led by Samboy Lim, Allan Caidic, Hector Calma, Yves Dignadice, Elmer Reyes and naturalized reinforcement Chip Engelland and Jeff Moore, the team was kept intact for the country’s sake for some time until major championships were captured.

Considering his management savvy, I’m sure MVP and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas can effectively address such issues, form a tight-knit, highly motivated and committed squad and reward millions of brown skinned, rice eating, basketball crazy Filipinos with a globally competitive national basketball team fit not just for Asian but Olympic action.

Passion for basketball

Like any successful business executive, MVP wants results. But more so, he would like to see best efforts being exerted to achieve results.

Sometimes, however, best of efforts result into failures or fall short of expectations. But it seems MVP can live with that provided he is convinced that best efforts were exerted.

MVP’s patience was put to test when the Smart-Gilas team achieved its worst finish in the recently concluded Asian Games. Despite this setback, which surely disappointed not only MVP but also millions of Filipino basketball fans, Pangilinan reiterated his high hopes for Philippine basketball and promised to continue his support to achieve the goal of qualifying in the Olympics.

MVP’s involvement in basketball is deep and broad ranging. Apart from being the president of SBP, he is known to be actively providing morale and financial support to least two teams in the collegiate basketball and two teams in the professional league.

PLDT and SMART, companies which he heads, are the main sponsors for the annual search of the Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) for the national collegiate champion. These companies provide the substantial sponsorship support needed to conduct this nationwide multi-level year-end competition to determine the true national champion among the best collegiate teams in the country.

MVP special awards for outstanding performance

In addition to the above support to the Champions League’s Philippine Collegiate Championship games, Pangilinan sponsors the “M. V. Pangilinan Annual Special Awards” for outstanding performances in the championships such as the Most Valuable Player, Members of the Mythical Team, Best Coach, Best Referee, and part of the prizes awarded to the team members and coaching staff and the schools represented by the top four teams at the culmination of the Philippine Collegiate Championship.

“Abutin Ang Tagumpay”

Recognizing MVP’s contribution to the promotion and development of collegiate basketball, PCCL has adopted the bronze sculpture of the renowned Filipino sculptor, Juan Sajid Imad, entitled “Abutin Ang Tagumpay” as the Manuel V. Pangilinan Perpetual Trophy, the symbol of collegiate basketball supremacy where the names of the national collegiate champions are etched permanently.

Visit www.CollegiateChampionsLeague.net for more details about the 2010 Philippine Collegiate Championship.

Should you wish to share any insights, write me at Link Edge, 25th Floor, 139 Corporate Center, Valero Street, Salcedo Village, 1227 Makati City. Or e-mail me at “mailto:[email protected]” [email protected]. For a compilation of previous articles, visit www.BizlinksPhilippines.net.