MVP is MVP
Published : Thursday, August 11, 2011 00:00 Article Views : 20 Written by : People's Journal
Until one of his sponsored athlete wins a gold medal in the Olympics, bringing over NBA superstars Kobe Bryant and Derrick Rose for an Ultimate All-Star Weekend will have to serve as icing on the cake for telecoms tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan in his far-reaching involvement in Philippine sports.
A corporate cannon in the business world, Pangilinan, chairman of PLDT and Smart and president of Meralco, among other companies, has given his blessings and lent his name to nearly a dozen athletic disciplines to become, literally and figuratively, Philippine sports’ MVP – Most Valuable Patron.
He is the president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), and his Smart Gilas team, which competes in the William Jones Cup in Taipei this week, will be leaving for the FIBA-Asia Men’s Championship in Wuhan, China in September to shoot for a dream slot to the London Olympic Games next year.
Next stop for the national team is the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2014 FIBA World.
Under SBP, national teams for the Southeast Asian Games – men and women – as well as for the FIBA-Asia Under-16 men and women tournaments, have been formed and are currently undergoing training, gaining momentum following the successful staging of the 22nd FIBA Asia Champions Cup at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
A couple of weeks ago at the PLDT office in Makati, Pangilinan, as chairman of the Amateur Boxing Association of the Philippines, presented a 15-year-old boxer from Zamboanga named Eumir Felix Marcial with a check worth P300,000 for winning a gold medal in the AIBA World Junior Boxing Championship in Astona, Kazakhstan, the highest achievement so far in the event by a Filipino.
Ricky Vargas, ABAP president, paid tribute to Marcial who beat a taller boxer from Turkey in the final match, hailed his parents for supporting the passion of their youngest child, and extolled ABAP’s talent search program.
“Eumir is the product of the combination of events put together by Mr. Pangilinan,” said Vargas, also CEO and president of Maynilad Water Services Inc.
As hefty as the amount was for the young teenager, it was merely a continuation of MVP’s willingness to reward excellent performance for flag and country as indicated by the whopping P3 million windfall that landed on the lap of veteran national boxer Rey Saludar, a gold medal winner in the Guanzhou Asian Games last year, the P1 million won by silver medalist Annie Albania, and the P500,00 Victorio Saludar, Rey’s younger brother, took home for saving the bronze.
And the list goes on, with MVP extending a hand and opening his checkbook to cycling, tennis, running, taekwondo, badminton, and even the now wildly-popular Philippine Azkals, among others.
Under the aegis of the MVP Sports Foundation Inc., launched early this year with top Meralco executive Al Panlilio as president, a group of companies chaired by Pangilinan has made it a mission to assist all the way the grassroots development and elite programs of eight national sports associations under the mantle of the Philippine Olympic Committee.
It was through the MVPSFI that Bryant, Rose, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and several other NBA stars descended into the Smart-Araneta Coliseum three weeks ago to showcase their magic upon tens of thousands of mesmerized fans who packed the Big Dome like never before since the Crispa-Toyota and Robert Jaworski era.
Already the owner of two PBA ballclubs –the Grand Slam-seeking Talk ‘N Text Tropang Texters and the Meralco Bolts – and chief benefactor of college basketball’s top collegiate teams – the four-peat seeking Ateneo Blue Eagles in the UAAP and the San Beda Red Lions in the NCAA – Pangilinan appears set for an even bigger role: possibly to stand as co-godfather to the Philippine delegation competing in the 2011 Southeast Asian Games in Indonesia, a compelling commitment which the country’s sports officials will be looking forward to.
“Ang Philippine Sports Commission ay nagpapasalamat kay Mr. Pangilinan sa suportang binibigay niya sa sports, especially in these times na medyo gipit tayo sa funding,” said PSC chairman Richie Garcia. “With his help, I think we’re not far into getting our first gold in the Olympics.”
Joey Romasanta, the POC spokesman, shares the view.
“MVP through the years has been quietly but actively supporting Philippine sports,” Romasanta said. “As a no-nonsense businessman, he also brings to sports his professional expertise. And being results-oriented, we can expect his involvement to provide a much-needed boost in our quest for our first Olympic gold.”
Renowned businessman-entrepreneur Cecilio Pedro, Lamoiyan Corporation CEO and president and an ally of Pangilinan in Philippine sports involvement, especially in boxing, has jumped aboard the MVP bandwagon.
“I believe Filipinos are world-class and we should come together, follow MVP’s lead and help in whatever way we can so that we can hopefully one day win a gold medal in the Olympics,” said the man behind Hapee Toothpaste.
