CONVERGE ICT Solutions made it clear Pampanga Governor Delta Pineda won’t have a hand in handling the PBA affairs of the team other than being a 'personal consultant' to team owner Dennis Anthony Uy.
The Pampanga billionaire admitted Pineda is a childhood friend. But as passionate as both are in playing and watching basketball, Pineda holds no more than a consultant position in the team that acquired the Alaska franchise.
“In his personal capacity, hindi siya involved (sa team). He’s just only my personal consultant,” said Uy during the official launch of the Converge Fiber Xers team on Tuesday at the EDSA Shangrila Hotel.
The Pampanga governor is a known staunch supporter of Pampanga basketball who paved the way for the discovery of the likes of Arwind Santos, Ian Sangalang, Calvin Abueva, and Justin Baltazar, among others.
He's also coach of the Pampanga Delta which won two championships in the National Basketball League (NBL).
No stake in Converge team
The sudden entry of Uy's firm in the PBA naturally sparked talks that Pineda could have a stake in Converge, which his billionaire friend refuted.
“But very passionate siya (Pineda) sa basketball, everybody knows that. In fairness to him, ang training niya sa Pampanga, he spent his own capacity to train Kapampangans to become good players," said Uy.
Pineda was not around during the affair, but Commissioner Willie Marcial acknowledged the huge help extended by the Pampanga governor during the time the PBA held its previous two conferences under a bubble setup in his province.
“Si Gov. Pineda ang laking tulong sa amin sa PBA,” he said of Pineda, who initially offered Clark, Pampanga as the venue of the league’s first ever bubble conference during the 2020 Philippine Cup.
During the second bubble, Marcial recalled how Pineda proposed the Don Honorio Ventura State University as playing venue and other adjacent hotels and resorts where teams and league personnel stayed during the resumption of the 2021 all-Filpino conference in Bacolor, Pampanga.
“So sa akin, ang laking tulong ni Gov. Pineda at sa PBA,” added the commissioner.
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