Well-known showbiz personality-turned politician Congressman Arjo Atayde, Quezon City’s Representative in District 1, is going to take over the city’s franchise in the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League at the end of the season.
This was disclosed by multi-titled veteran coach Derick Pumaren in an interview with The Manila Times’ Extra Mile.
“While we’re waiting for finality to join the MPBL, we’ll be joining some leagues,” said Pumaren. “Hopefully, we’ll be able to join (PBA) D-League or any other invitational leagues.”
A staple in the local basketball circuit, coming from a family with rich winning tradition, Pumaren is one of only few coaches to win championships in different levels.
In the collegiate leagues, he won championships while coaching La Salle in the UAAP and just a few years ago, the Centro Escolar University squad in the NCRAA.
As a coach in the defunct amateur league Philippine Amateur Basketball League, later on renamed as PBL, Pumaren led Magnolia Ice Cream and Triple V to titles.
In the PBA, he was known as the coach who steered Sunkist to a near grand slam in 1995.
Quezon City, which was bankrolled by different politicians in the past when it entered the MPBL as one among the pioneering squads in 2018, is still competing in tis nationwide league put up by Manny Pacquiao, but has been struggling to make its way back to the playoffs.
Atayde is passionate in sports and is determined to make the city as a powerhouse in the MPBL, hence he decided to tap Pumaren, a coach who has a winning reputation.
According to Pumaren, the team has been established as early as late last year, composed mostly of players coming from District 1. The seasoned veteran tactician, however, is expected to retool the squad once it decides to join the big league, much like he did when the squad participated in an invitational overseas tournament.
‘We’ve been practicing since last year, mga November siguro,” added Pumaren. “In fact, last February, we went to Japan to play in an invitational league. Fortunately, medyo siniuwerte, napag-champion namin. That’s what keeps me busy right now, preparing this team.”
Pumaren has a mixture of current collegiate players and previous players whom he handled before, including some of his players from the champion team CEU Scorpions.
“We have players from University of Makati, and then this school from Quezon City, Gardner College coming from the district of Congressman Arjo. Because of his passion for basketball, he wants to help the youth players in his district,” added Pumaren.
“Most of my players are from District 1, but when I went to Japan, I reinforced four players, who played for me, mga naging players ko sa CEU — Franz Diaz, Jerome Santos, Dave Buenafe and Jayson Puray.”
Diaz, Santos, Buenafe and Puray were part of the so-called ‘Magnificent Seven’, who played a key role in Pumaren’s return to glory in college basketball.
