Ekwe shrugs off five-hour airport woes

Sam Ekwe, a gentle giant on and off the court, harbors no ill feelings towards the Indonesians despite his experience of being held on the Soekarno Hatta International Airport for about five hours before eventually being cleared to enter the country.

“I don’t feel bad at all. I understand that I have no Asian visa and there’s a procedure to be followed,” said Ekwe.

Michael James LeBlanc, Harbour Centre’s other import from the United States, likewise showed patience over his travel ordeal.

LeBlanc had his problem on the departure of the team at the NAIA-2, taking some time to get a boarding pass since his passport is expiring in two months. He was allowed to board after getting assurance from the Indon immigration that he’ll be issued a visa in Jakarta.

LeBlanc, a 29-year-old, 6-foot-7 forward who played college ball for UConn and Vanderbilt, was a mere walk-in tryout, joining the team in no more than 10 practice sessions.

A soft-spoken guy with a vast experience of playing overseas, LeBlanc came in the Philippines hoping to land a job in the PBA. He tried it out with Air21 and Welcoat.

 “He’s more of a scorer. He has a good touch from the outside. Our concern is whether he’s in shape,” said Harbour Centre consultant Baculi of LeBlanc, who also had a stint with the Harlem Globetrotters aside from his tour of duties in Slovenia, Columbia, Mexico, Argentina, Puerto Rico, China and Saudi Arabia. – Nelson Beltran