JARENCIO TO JOIN BATANG PIER IN DUBAI IN TIME FOR GAME
DUBAI – Pido Jarencio, the GlobalPort head coach, is set to follow the Batang Pier Wednesday for an official PBA Governors’ Cup game against Rain or Shine after failing to join them earlier in the nine-hour flight due to severe diarrhea.
GlobalPort team manager Bonnie Tan bared Jarencio’s scheduled departure for this sweltering, oil-rich Middle East city, and Batang Pier alternate governor Erick Arejola provided confirmation.
“Hopefully, okey na siya,” said Tan.
The severity of Jarencio’s condition, which Tan said started during their game with San Miguel Beer last Sunday at the Cuneta Astrodome, saw the former Santo Tomas U star so drained and weakened from fluid loss that he had to be given a wheelchair when he arrived at NAIA Terminal 2 for the noon flight to Dubai on Monday.
“Kailangan na siguro siyang na-dextrose kagabi pa,” said Arejola, who kept GlobalPort owner Mikee Romero apprised of the situation.
Ultimately it was decided to leave without Jarencio, who then sought medical assistance to stop the dehydrating condition.
“Dating na siya bukas (Wednesday),” said Arejola.
GlobalPort is to play Rain or Shine on May 21 at the Al Shabab Club before Barangay Ginebra San Miguel takes a shot at the Elasto Painters on May 22.
This marks the fourth sojourn of the PBA to this part of the United Arab Emirates.
Playing back-to-back games against one of the hottest teams in the conference and before a huge Filipino audience expected to shower them with fire-and-brimstone in loyal support of their other opponent will fuel the Elasto Painters, Guiao said.
“This is a character-building situation for us,” said Guiao, who hopes to get off two practice sessions and one walk-through scrimmage.
The E-Painters and the Batang Pier arrived here late Monday night aboard a Philippine Airlines flight that flew direct from Manila for nine hours, got picked up from the Dubai airport by two air-conditioned buses, and were treated to a grilled feast at the Filipino-owned McDavid’s Restaurant.
It took the PBA delegation an hour to finish dinner and another hour to return to their buses as they obliged requests for selfies and autographs from scores of OFWs who mobbed the players before, during and after the heavy meal.
The back-breaking schedule will be no problem, Guiao said. He also banished fears ROS might take it easy in one of the games.
“We will go all out 100 percent both games; there will be no holding back,” Guiao said. “That’s who we are and that’s what we intend to bring before our kababayans here. We agreed to play back-to-back games here as part of our commitment to bring high level basketball entertainment to our OFWs. They can expect only the best effort from us.”
PBA commissioner Chito Salud also promised fans an exciting show.
“Dubai always beckons,” said Salud, who flew in aboard Emirates Airways in the early hours of Tuesday with PBA chairman Patrick Gregorio of Talk ‘N Text, Barangay Ginebra San Miguel alternate governor Alfrancis Chua and league media bureau chief Willie Marcial.
“And we can’t resist our fans here. They simply love the PBA, and the PBA loves our countrymen here even more. ROS, GlobalPort and Ginebra will put on a show for Dubai!”
The Kings, meantime, left Manila Tuesday morning and spent a four-hour stopover in Singapore before proceeding to Dubai where star guard Mark Caguioa hopes to lead Ginebra after getting benched in the second half of their Saturday game against the Blackwater Elite in Dipolog City.
Caguioa, so far, has resisted to comment on the issue which Kings coach Frankie Lim fleetingly touched on.
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