PBL Unity Cup opening reset

The 2004 PBL Unity Cup has been reset to March 28 at the Makati Coliseum, commissioner Chino Trinidad announced yesterday.

The opening was earlier scheduled on March 27 but league officials decided to move it to a later date and depart from a traditional Saturday opening.

Eight teams will see action in the season-opening tournament with Hapee Toothpaste defending its title it won over Viva Mineral Water-Far Eastern University in a thriller of a title series.

Actually, Hapee (formerly Fash Liquid Laundry Detergent) is seeking its third straight title and a grand slam of sorts after it also ruled the Platinum Cup at the expense of powerhouse Welcoat Paints.

The opening ceremonies start at 1 p.m.

Though ICTSI-La Salle has taken a leave of absence for one conference and some established stars have just turned pro, Trinidad remains upbeat for the coming conference with the entry of Lee Pipes-Ateneo and Toyota Otis-Letran.

"Just like last year, I expect a tough and exciting battle this conference. Halos balanse naman ang mga teams ngayon," said Trinidad.

Meantime, Solar Sports will telecast a one-hour PBL special dubbed as "Heart Of A Champion" on Channel 29 tomorrow.

The special show, which will be aired from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., highlights the exploits of Hapee which made the 2003 season truly a magical season for the

Lamoiyan Corporation owned by Cecilio Pedro.

The show will also feature some of the spectacular moves that has made Fash’s Peter June Simon the MVP of the Platinum Cup. Simon edged out Welcoat’s Jojo Tangkay and James Yap for the coveted plum.