PBL holds rookie camp March 1

Fresh from its successful staging of the 2006 PBL Heroes Cup finals, the PBL will hold its Rookie Camp on March 1, executive director Butch Maniego announced yesterday.

The Rookie Camp is designed to give aspiring players the chance to showcase their talents that will enable them to land in one of the teams in the country’s premier amateur basketball league.

Applicants who wish to join any teams in the league may submit their application form at the PBL office located at Unit 2302-A West Tower, Philippine Stock Exchange Centre, Exchange Road in Pasig City.

Deadline for submission of entries will be at 12 noon, March 1.Those who have already submitted their forms in the past camps need not apply again.

Maniego said the next tournament — the 2006 Unity Cup — is tentatively set March 25 with Rain or Shine as defending champion.

Magnolia Dairy Ice Cream is bidding for back-to-back championships after outlasting Rain or Shine in a riveting title series where the Wizards rallied from a 0-2 deficit to win the title and complete their amazing comeback.

It was the first time in league history that a team managed to climb back from that deficit, and coach Koy Banal attributed their phenomenal feat to the team’s great resolve.

The recent finals also drew a mammoth crowd at the San Andres Gym, perhaps the biggest in recent years.