Toyota Otis returns to PBL

Shipping and transportation magnate Reynaldo Oben met recently with Philippine Basketball League Commissioner Chino Trinidad to confirm that his Toyota Otis Sparks basketball team will be coming back for the PBL’s 2010 season slated later this year. The Toyota Otis team, which made a mark for itself with its tough defense and exciting players, will again field the core of the Colegio de San Juan de Letran Knights of the NCAA, of which Oben is an esteemed alumnus and long-time backer. This brings to at least six the number of teams seeing action in the PBL’s season-opening tournament, joining holdovers Oracle Titans from the Harbour Centre Group, Pharex Bidang Generix of Pascual Laboratories, Cobra Energy Drink Warriors of Asia Brewery, Inc., Licealiz Hair Doctors of Lamoiyan Corporation and Magnolia Purewater Wizards of San Miguel Corp. “When we are asked to reactivate the team after our short leave, we did not hesitate because we still believe in the Commissioner’s programs for the league. Now that we have refocused our energies as to why we are playing in the PBL, the decision to return was much easier to make," said Oben. Commissioner Trinidad is grateful to the businessman and sports patron for heeding the call for his team to rejoin the league. “The Toyota Otis Sparks are truly one of the cornerstones of the PBL and without them, it was different. I am happy to welcome Atty. Oben and board representative Mr. Gil Angeles back among the active participants and look forward to working with them to make the PBL as vibrant and relevant as ever in the local basketball landscape," Trinidad said. The slight improvement in the global business climate and a fervent desire to help his alma mater’s varsity squad make rapid improvements for the next college seasons helped make the decision to return easier for Oben, whose company first joined the league in 2004. Beyond this, however, he wants the league to keep doing what it’s doing, which is to develop players, coaches and referees for the national team and also the pro ranks. Among the many players who suited up for Toyota Otis were national team cagers RJ Jazul, Rey Guevarra and Jayvee Casio as well as current pros Aaron Aban, Mark Macapagal, Ronjay Enrile, Erick Rodriguez, Chito Jaime, and Dennis Daa. - GMANews.TV