PBA, Salud, Talk N Text bury hatchet

Manila, Philippines - The Philippine Basketball Association and the Talk n Text management have agreed to put behind the Dubai foul-up and move forward after instituting strict procedures in conducting future overseas games.

PBA commissioner Chito Salud announced this yesterday after giving detailed accounts of the Dubai incident in separate talks with the PBA board of governors and the Talk n Text management led by top officials Manny V. Pangilinan and Ricky Vargas.

Salud assured the board the league would go after Dubai promoter Ramon Pizarras who owes the league P1.5 million and look at the culpability of Gulf Air for cancelling confirmed tickets of the Talk n Text Tropang Texters.

Salud took full accountability and responsibility for the hotel incident which forced the Talk n Text, Ginebra and B-Meg teams to pay for hotel expenses which the promoter failed to settle and the flight mix-up which stranded the Tropang Texters in Dubai after playing back-to-back games versus the Llamados and the Kings.

The league commissioner reiterated he’s sorry the Texters were left behind.

He said there were lessons learned, prompting them to institute more stringent procedures for overseas games.

“One is upfront payment from the promoter to give PBA complete control over travel and hotel accommodations abroad; second, more stringent criteria in the selection of promoters; and third, clear cut procedures in travel arrangements to ensure the smooth conduct not only of the game but the trip itself from the point of departure to the point of arrival,” Salud said.

He emphasized welfare of the players will be paramount when they play abroad.