Fundador knocking on PBL door

A liquor company – Fundador Exclusivos – hopes to become the eighth member ballclub when the Philippine Basketball League stages its season-opening conference April 14.

"We met last week and we expect at least eight teams in the coming PBL Unity Cup," said PBL chairman Gil Angeles of Toyota Balintawak.

The league is now down to seven members – Toyota-Balintawak, Harbour Centre, Mail and More/Burger King, Cebuana Lhuillier-Pera Padala, Hapee Toothpaste, Henkel-Sista and Magnolia Ice Cream after TeleTech filed an indefinite leave of absence and Kettle Korn cut short its stint after a disappointing performance in the PBL Silver Cup .

"TeleTech and Kettle Korn are not participating this conference but Fundador Exclusivos is waiting in the wings," said Angeles.

The last time a team carrying a brand of liquor joined the league was in the late 90s during the time of the Asia Brewery-owned Tanduay/Stag, which won six titles in seven conferences spanning 1995 to 1997.

Meanwhile, the Super Sealers have acquired four new players to fill the slack left by the prolific duo of Marcy Arellano and Kelvin Gregorio, who were recalled by the University of the East for the coming UAAP cage wars.

Tapped were Dom Javier, Dondon Villamin, Ronnie Mathias and former UE Warrior Robert Labagala.

"We lost both of our top two scorers from last conference and we hope our four new players will help in filling the gap," said Henkel-Sista mentor Caloy Garcia.