From left are Hong Kong Eastern Sporting Director Tony Wong, PBA Governor Alfrancis Chua, PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, Hong Kong Eastern Chairman Frankie Yau, EASL CEO Henry Kerins, EASL Philippine head Banjo Albano, sports broadcaster/columnist Quinito Henson and Hong Kong Eastern basketball team manager Oliver Lee.
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PRELIMINARY talks started on a positive note over lunch at the EDSA Shangri-La Hotel last Thursday as PBA commissioner Willie Marcial and PBA Ginebra Board Governor Alfrancis Chua met with Hong Kong Eastern Chairman Frankie Yau, Sporting Director Tony Wong and basketball team manager Oliver Lee to discuss a possible collaboration in the Commissioner's Cup next season.
Hong Kong Eastern and Singapore Slingers are on the table as guest team options in the next Commissioner's Cup where in 2022-23, the PBA welcomed the Bay Area Dragons who went to the Finals and lost to Ginebra in an epic Game 7 duel that drew a record crowd of 54,589.
The Hong Kong Eastern officials were accompanied by EASL CEO Henry Kerins and EASL Philippine head Banjo Albano. Chua said he will brief the PBA Board on what was discussed while Marcial tapped PBA deputy commissioner Eric Castro to join a task force with Wong, Lee and Albano to iron out details of an agreement. Wong said Hong Kong Eastern plays with a single import of unlimited height and the PBA is likely to adapt a similar rule for the Commissioner's Cup.
Marcial said critical in the negotiations is the logistics of scheduling. The PBA's first conference, the Governors' Cup, is set to begin on Aug. 18 and scheduled to end on Nov. 10 at the latest. The PBA will then give way to the FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window on Nov. 18-26 when Gilas plays New Zealand on Nov. 21 and Hong Kong on Nov. 24, both at home. The second conference, the Commissioner's Cup, will start late November or early December and end before the next FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window where Gilas will play Chinese-Taipei on Feb. 20 and New Zealand on Feb. 23, both on the road.
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If the PBA collaboration pushes through, Hong Kong Eastern plans to play six home games at the new Kai Tak Sports Park and six road games in Manila during the eliminations. The 10,000-seat Kai Tak indoor sports facility may be ready late this year and if it is, the proposal is to play three home games over a week in December and the other three over a week in January. Two PBA teams may play in the first game of a Hong Kong doubleheader. If Hong Kong Eastern qualifies for the playoffs, a home-and-away format may also be applied.
Chua said opening the PBA to the Hong Kong market is a pathway to a larger exposure in East Asia. "There are limitless marketing and sponsorship opportunities for both the PBA and Hong Kong Eastern," he said. "We're looking at the big picture and based on the Bay Area experience, this could start a new chapter in PBA history where East Asia becomes a major segment of our market. This is hand-in-hand with our EASL partnership."
