Presidential yellow, the blue-green team

Thursday, The STAR printed an exclusive about Maui Villanueva, the 16-year old UPIS center who is now the country’s first basketball scholar to Japan. The 6’4" Villanueva, who comes from a brood of basketball-playing brothers, chanced upon tryouts for Kyoto’s Higashiyama High School at Reyes Gym, immediately impressed the coaches. Within the hour, the coaches were calling Villanueva’s parents to sign him up. The story received quite a bit of attention, and touched the heart of one of the country’s most known political figures.

As fortune would have it, former President Corazon Aquino read the article, and is also leaving for Kyoto this week. Mrs. Aquino contacted this writer to confirm the school’s location. Within hours, the former chief executive had reached the Villanueva family residence, and her sponsor had already called Higashiyama High and coordinated the visit.

"I feel sorry for the boy, especially if he traveled alone," Mrs. Aquino said. "Besides, it’s not far from where I’ll be."

Mrs. Aquino, who regularly visits overseas Filipinos whenever she is invited to speak abroad, plans on seeing Maui’s situation firsthand this Wednesday. Maui’s parents, coaches and friends are thrilled about the visit.

Needless to say, thanks to the kind heart of one of our recognizable leaders, Villanueva will instantly become a Big Man On Campus, without even having played a game.

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Last Monday, the Harbour Centre basketball team was formally introduced to the Philippine Basketball league community via a press conference at the Kamayan restaurant along Padre Faura in Manila. One of the most interesting things about this team is that it will feature, for the first time, a group of players from De La Salle University and Ateneo de Manila, made possible by the departure of the AMP-Ateneo team from the PBL.

Historically, the two schools started to become bitter rivals after some excessive taunting during the NCAA cheerleading bouts in the 1950’s. Since then, games between the two schools carried greater meaning for both institutions, particularly since the players never saw each other outside of games. DLSU athletes, based in the Manila area, never bumped into their AdMU counterparts, who were entrenched in Quezon City. Besides, there weren’t as many nightspots then as there are now, so the likelihood of them hanging out was remote.

After about 20 years, excessive roughness forced Ateneo to leave the NCAA for the UAAP, with La Salle following about a decade later, renewing the tradition. But it seems that today’s players don’t really make a big deal out of it as much as their elders did.

"I’m so happy that we’re teammates, even though we were opponents before," says Green Archers guard Mac Cardona, who has announced his intention of turning pro this year. "I’ll get to experience them as teammates."

"It’s okay, because in the UAAP, it’s just our job to play," says graduating Ateneo center Paolo Bugia. "We played for Ateneo, they played for La Salle; it was school pride. But there’s no Ateneo or la Salle here, it’s just Harbour Centre, so we have the same goal. We’ll help each other to achieve it."

"It’s not a purely La Salle-Ateneo basketball team," explains head coach Tonichi Yturri. "We are also made up of players from PCU. As much as possible, I would like to get away from that emphasis on Ateneo-La Salle. Basically, they are here as basketball players representing Harbour Centre, players who want to do well in this conference."

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Beginning today, kids may attend Ed Cordero’s BallZone basketball clinic, presented by Talk N Text and sponsored by Purefoods Hotdogs and Star Margarine at the Meralco gym from 8:30 to 11:30. The first summer module takes place every Monday, Wednesday and Friday April 4-20, while the second runs Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays April 24-May 10. At least four of the sessions will include interaction with players from the Phone Pals and Hotdogs. Those interested may call 0918-8833267 or 0920-9052454. Clinic fee is P 1,800.