Souped-up Globalport targets 1st semis

MANILA, Philippines - Making the semifinals for the very first time is the modest goal Globalport is eyeing to achieve as it enters its third season in the PBA.

No less than team owner Mikee Romero made the disclosure in the hopes of turning the fate of the franchise around following what he felt was a ‘disappointing’ showing of the Batang Pier during their first two campaigns in Asia’s first ever play-for-pay league.

“Our target is to land in the semifinals for the first time this year and we have three conferences to do it,” said Romero, who was with the Batang Pier team during the Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at Shakey’s Malate yesterday.

In their first two years in the league, the Batang Pier only made the playoffs twice including the quarterfinals of last season’s Philippine Cup.

With top rookie pick Stanley Pringle coming aboard, and the rest of the players personally handpicked by Romero, board of governor Erick Arejola, and team manager BJ Manalo, hopefully things are bound to get better for the franchise this time.

“Hindi madali `yung pinagdaanan namin. We always come from the bottom at hindi ako sanay,” admitted Romero, whose Harbour Centre team built a championship dynasty in the defunct Philippine Basketball League (PBL) and won a title in the Asean Basketball League (ABL). “It’s an unfamiliar territory sa amin, but at the same time, a humbling experience for us. Ibang level ang PBA and hopefully, this year we have found ’yung hinahanap naming type of team.”

Romero was accompanied in the forum presented by Accel, Shakey’s, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation by Arejola, Manalo, coach Pido Jarencio, Pringle, and players Terrence Romeo, Alex Cabagnot, Keith Jensen, and Mark Isip.

Jarencio said the team has nothing to go but up especially with a backcourt tendered by Pringle, Romeo, and Cabagnot, whom Romero tagged as the ‘three-headed monster.’

Cabagnot concurs with his coach, saying, “Siyempre we want to improve naman from last season, with Stanley here and other guys around. Of course, we can’t be happy, we can’t be contended, but the signs are good.”

As part of its preseason buildup, the Batang Pier went on a sojourn in South Korea where they played colleges teams and ballclubs from the Korean Basketball League (KBL). They just arrived from Legazpi City fresh from a win over Talk `N Text in an exhibition game.

“It’s a good experience for us,” said Arejola. “All 14 players were handpicked by us kaya masasabi namin lahat ng players palaban.”

Manalo added, “Iba` yung lumalaban ng desperado, iba yung lumalaban ng kaya. Nangapa kami kasi bago pa lang. Slowly hindi ko sinasabi na nandoon na kami, but we made great strides since two years ago.”

Other than being a fighting team, Romero believes the hungry factor could also work to Globalport’s advantage.

“Gutom na gutom kami ngayon, and the hunger factor will really make a difference,” said the Globalport team owner