Pampanga finalizes return to MBA

After a one-year absence, Pampanga is back in the Metropolitan Basketball Association.

League concurrent president and chairman Santi Araneta of LBC Batangas said the MBA and Pampanga, through Lubao town mayor Dennis Pineda, are close to forging a pact formalizing the return of the Anton Gonzalez-owned franchise.

"We are just ironing out a few kinks but I think Pampanga’s return to the league is close to a done deal," Araneta yesterday told The Star.

Araneta, whose Blades topped this year’s National Finals with a 3-1 triumph over the Negros Slashers, said Pineda is partnering with Gonzalez in forming a competitive team next season with the hopes of regaining the title it won in the maiden season in 1998.

The LBC Batangas executive said Pineda is now scouting and looking for the coaches and players who will comprise the Pampanga squad seeing action in next year’s MBA season.

Araneta, however, hinted that Pineda is still undecided whether to retain the Pampanga Dragons name although he hinted the new team co-owner might eventually decide to change it.

"We’ve talked about a lot of things and based on my meetings with him there is a bigger possibility that Mayor Pineda may give up the team’s old name for a new one," said Araneta.

As this developed, Araneta said the Olongapo squad Department of Tourism secretary Dick Gordon is putting up in the MBA next season will assume the Manila franchise.

Like the Dragons, the Metrostars, MBA champions of 1999, have filed a leave of absence last year after citing financial difficulties.

Gordon’s team is to be called the Volunteers, a name that depicts how volunteerism has improved lives in the Subic Bay Metropolitan Area.