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    SMB hoping for championship to cheer up widowed teammate Mamaril

    SMB wants a championship to cheer up widowed teammate Mamaril
    Jul 26, 2018

    AS the San Miguel Beermen go to war in the PBA Commissioner's Cup finals, a grieving comrade is not lost in their hearts and mind.

    The team hopes winning the best-of-seven title series against Barangay Ginebra can somehow help ease the pain of veteran big man Billy Mamaril, who lost his wife this week after a lingering illness.

    Arwind Santos said the Beermen went to the wake of former print and commercial model Christine Bayer-Mamaril straight from their closeout game against Alaska during the semifinals on Sunday to pay their respects and offer the victory to Mamaril.

    Mamaril died on July 20.

    And while the team hasn't talked about it in the open, Santos admitted there is a conscious effort on the part of the Beermen to win the championship for their widowed teammate.

    "Oo meron naman," said the lanky forward. "Sabi ko nga sa interview, mabibigat ang aming mga dahilan (to win a championship)."

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      Coach Leo Austria was the first person in the team notified about the death by Mamaril, who also had two tours of duty with Ginebra from 2006 to 2010 and 2010 to 2015 before joining SMB as a free agent in the offseason.

      "Kakauwi ko lang from Ynares (Center) after Game 3 nung tumawag siya. Inaayos na niya yung wake at the time. I just told him na huwag niya na muna isipin ang team dahil mas kailangan siya ng pamilya niya," Austria recalled of his conversation with his player.

      Mamaril's wife was laid to rest on Thursday on the eve of Game One of the finals.

      Both Austria and team governor Robert Non are keeping their fingers crossed the 38-year-old cager would be able to see action in his second straight final stint with the Beermen, especially against a Ginebra side that got bigger with a healthy Greg Slaughter around.

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      "Additional big body rin si Billy at siyempre beterano," said the San Miguel mentor.

      The team understands if he won't.

      "You have to understand yung lagay niya ngayon. Physically, kundisyon siya. But mentally and emotionally, yun ang hindi natin alam," said Austria.

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      Santos said he can totally relate to Mamaril's situation, having faced the same dillema when her mother and No. 1 supporter Araceli passed away two years ago.

      "Parang ako nung nangyari sa mama ko. Nawala na ako sa kundisyon at tsaka ang baba ng morale ko noon," he recalled.

      That's why a championship hopefully, would be able to somehow bring that smile back on Billy's face.

      Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph

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