AFTER a year of heated exchanges of words in the media, two basketball patrons, Lorenzo “Chao” Sy and Felix Tiukinhoy, finally saw eye to eye as they combined their efforts in a huge endeavor—the Asian University Basketball Championship (AUBC) slated this weekend at the Cebu Coliseum.
The two admitted that even before they met in person, it was third parties who ruined what possibly could have been a good working relationship between them.
“There were so many intrigues that other people tell us that had ruined any chances of us to be friends when in fact we are both working for the same goal, which is the promotion of basketball,” said Sy, an officer of the Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas of the Prospero Pichay wing regional head, who is organizing the competition.
He tapped the services of Tiukinhoy to be the commissioner of the event. Tiukinhoy is also the commissioner of the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc.
Tiukinhoy said that the people who got in their way were the ones with the vested interests and that both of them have no differences to settle.
The two were on the opposite ends of the basketball fence when Sy tried to revive the Cebu Collegiate Athletic Association and when members of the Cesafi pulled out of the Danao Mayors Cup, an event Sy was organizing, a day before the event was to start.
“We did not have to set aside differences because we do not have vested interests and that we can work together for the same thing that we both love, which is basketball,” said Tiukinhoy.
Together
The two first came together during a press conference and launching of the AUBC yesterday at the Hotel Fortuna.
Sy invited teams from China, the Huaqiao University and South Korea’s Hanyang University. University of Luzon and Angeles University Foundation are the two teams from Manila competing in the eight-day competition, along with local bets University of the Visayas and Southwestern University.
Sy said that one of the reasons for his organizing the event was to give the local teams a chance to be challenged as they compete against teams that plays on a different level.
“I made sure that we got top teams from these two countries. In fact, I had to say no to a team from Vietnam because the team is not very good and it will just be a waste of time,” said Sy.
Only bragging rights are up for grabs in this competition.
However, Sy said that he is lobbying to Pichay that if a local team wins, it will be sent to Hong Kong either as a prize or for another exposure against foreign rivals.
Meanwhile, Asian University Basketball Federation president Shin Dong Pa will be conducting a basketball clinic to anyone who is interested on July 11 still at the Cebu Coliseum . (MCB)
