Vergara signs with Slingers

The Singapore Slingers signed up Al Vergara to a four-month deal worth P1 million, hoping to fill in the void left by Jason Castro, who opted to join Talk n Text in the PBA.

The Slingers were actually offered two guards by coach Chot Reyes and PBA board member Ricky Vargas of Talk n Text and had a brief talk with veteran Johnny Abarrientos who was being eyed as a player and assistant coach of the team.

But the team owners were impressed by Vergara’s brand of play.

“We need a point guard who is hungry and needs the right break. I viewed a YouTube video on last year’s Harbour RP team and in the dying seconds of one game, I saw Al Vergara’s assist which lifted the team to a win. I also saw Al play here last year against the Slingers. That was the x-factor. If Al is good enough as a playmaker for Mikee Romero’s team, he’s good enough for us,” said Paul Monozca, member of the executive committee of the Singapore Slingers.

“I prayed a lot because I really didn’t know what my future would be after I failed to make it to Purefoods,” said Vergara in Filipino.

Vergara, meanwhile, struts his wares today as the Slingers play the Air21 Express. They will meet the Purefoods Hotdogs on Sept. 30 before squaring off with the Harbour Centre side on Oct. 4. He is also set to see action with the Slingers against NBL teams in Australia and Taiwan.

The PBA teams, gearing up for next month’s opening of the new season, are in Singapore to play in the Singapore Challenge Series, the preparatory league to the inaugural Asian Pro League games.