TITAN Ultra initially showed interest in signing unrestricted free agent Alvin Pasaol prior to the start of the PBA Season 50.
Pasaol, the former high-scoring forward of University of the East, was not given a contract extension by the Meralco Bolts at the end of last season, automatically making him an unrestricted free agent, meaning he can be taken by any team without that team having to give another player in return.
READ Meralco officially parts ways with Alvin Pasaol, Jolo Mendoza
The 6-foot-2 Davao native was a first-round selection of Meralco in 2020 and was part of the team that won the franchise’s first PBA championship during the 2024 Philippine Cup.
Unfortunately for the 30-year-old Pasaol, the Giant Risers had a sudden change of heart. Instead, the team picked three other players who also were unrestricted free agents.
Multiple sources confirmed to SPIN.ph that the Giant Risers opted to sign Roi Sumang, James Martinez and big man Arvie Bringas instead.
Sumang had been without a team for two years, having last played in the PBA in 2023 for NorthpPort, the same franchise which was taken over by Titan Ultra.
If Sumang had not played for two years, Martinez and Bringas had been sidelined even longer. Martinez, a second-round pick of Barangay Ginebra in the 2011 draft, is making a return in the league after 13 years, or since playing his rookie season with the Powerade team – incidentally the same franchise which NorthPort bought in 2012.
Meanwhile, Bringas, 35, is playing in the PBA for the first time as a rookie free agent after failing to sign with KIA (now Terrafirma) which selected him in the fourth round of the 2017 draft.
Being left out in the cold must be painful for Pasaol, but it probably hurts more knowing that a team he supposedly would be playing for decided to choose three players who are inferior to him in terms of value.- Gerry Ramos
Medal or bust' ultimatum for de Brito?
The Philippine National Volleyball Association (PNVF) is probably unhappy with the performance of women's national team coach Jorge Souza de Brito because rumors keep surfacing about his impending departure.
The gravevine says that for de Brito to keep his job, the Brazilian mentor will have to achieve something that has not been done in 20 years: win a medal in the Southeast Asian Games.
It appears the PNVF wants results after signing de Brito to what sources said was a lucrative contract hoping that his magic would end the medal drought.
This is particularly significant because women's volleyball has been at the forefront of the sport's resurgence in the country and also in light of the FIVB Women's World Volleyball Championship to be held here in 2029 where the local volleybelles are expected to perform at world-class level.
Fortunately for de Brito, who will turn 59 on Monday, there is no firm indication that he may be fired before the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games this December as a source confirmed to SPIN.ph that de Brito’s contract extension hinges on the Nationals’ performance in the biennial meet.
The Brazilian mentor's contract will expire at the end of the year.
If bringing home a SEA Games medal is not stressful enough, de Brito also has the added burden of having to coach Capiltal1 in the ongoing 2025 PVL Reinforced Conference.
Currently he is holding practice for the two teams, a twice-a-week schedule for the Alas women's team and on other days, practice for Capital1. The PVL ends its current tournament on Nov. 27
From there, de Brito will begin forming his final 14 players for the SEA Games slated from Dec. 9 to 20. - John Mark Garcia
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