Eala new man at helm

With a daunting task of relaunching the league and pursuing a vision that would reinforce its role as the nation’s premier sporting event, the board of governors of the Philippine Basketball Association yesterday appointed its youngest commissioner — a media practitioner and a lawyer.

In effect, the decision put an end to an era steeped in basketball tradition and mainly responsible for making the pro league the national pastime that it is today.

The board yesterday ended a thorough search for the man who will be at helm of the country’s No. 1 sports institution as it named Jose Emmanuel "Noli" Eala, a sportscaster-lawyer with a background in finance and marketing, to succeed Jun Bernardino as PBA commissioner.

It arrived at the decision after three rounds of voting in a morning meeting at the Chateau 1770.

PBA board chair Butch Alejo said they looked at the totality of what Eala can do for the league in reaching a consensus on his appointment.

The Los Baños, Laguna native with degrees of AB political science and law at Ateneo de Manila was picked for the coveted job over former league board chair Rey Gamboa and banker-coach Chito Narvasa.

" A defining moment in my life," said Eala, who is a broadcast man involved in the television coverage of the PBA games.

At 39, Eala is the youngest among those who have been appointed for the position. The previous commissioners–Leo Prieto, Mariano Yenko, Rudy Salud, Rey Marquez and Bernardino–were in their 40s or 50s when named to the post.

Eala assumes the commissionership as soon as Bernardino steps down at the end of the current season.

"In reaching this very critical decision, the board has followed a thorough, transparent and fair process. The new commissioner faces an exciting and daunting role of helping relaunch the league. The goal is to renew and heighten the interest of basketball fans in the PBA. The achievement of the goal is clearly of paramount importance," said Alejo during a press conference at the Philsports Arena.

"Under his (Eala’s) stewardship, and with the total support and guidance of the board, we believe that the PBA is poised to enter a new era of providing quality sports entertainment, beginning the New Year 2003," Alejo added.

Eala called the appointment fulfillment of a boyhood dream."My appointment to one of the most prestigious positions in Philippine sports is truly a defining moment in my life. It is a fulfillment of one of my boyhood dreams of one day being an integral part of a Filipino tradition like the PBA," said Eala.

"Together with the honor and prestige that is imbibed in the office of the commissioner come the multifarious challenges and serious responsibilities that it uniquely offers. In this regard, I look forward with eagerness and passion to immediately face the task at hand–of reinforcing the PBA as the country’s premier league and reconnecting the same to the millions of Filipino fans who have made the PBA their way of life," he added.

He added: "I urged everyone who has been a part of this league to come together, work hand in hand and exert all efforts to usher a stronger, healthier and better PBA–a tradition lived by all and loved by all."

Bernardino said there would be tough challenges down the road but he expected Eala to overcome them. "I wished him the best of luck," he said.

Gamboa, on the other hand, felt "humbled by the genuine expression of confidence by those board members who gave their unwavering support." He also congratuled Eala.

Asked what his own vision for the league, Eala said it is basically going back to the basic of strengthening the league and improving its product.