FANCIED Marinerong Pilipino’s sights were trained on winning the PBA D-League Aspirant’s Cup crown last year.
But the deadly COVID-19 pandemic sent those title dreams to the mothballs for perhaps another season.
As to when his team will get another shot at glory, nobody knows.
Skippers coach Yong Garcia has no regrets, however.
“Nakapanghihinayang, pero siyempre wala ka ng control doon because of the pandemic,” Garcia told Malaya-Business Insight.
“Sana lang matapos na itong pandemic kasi sa PBA D-League, doon makikita iyong exposure ng future PBA players,” he added.
Marinerong Pilipino fielded a formidable roster led by the likes of Fil-Am forward Jamie Malonzo, brothers Juan and Javi Gomez de Liaño, Alfred Batino, James Laput, Dhon Reverente, Jordan Rios, and former pro Allan Mangahas.
With only eight matches played and suspended indefinitely for six months at the start of the government-imposed lockdown to curb the spread of the killer pulmonary disease, the D-League season was called off for good in September last year.
The lone club team in the tourney, the Skippers, along with Builders Warehouse-University of Santo Tomas and EcoOil-La Salle, were holding 2-0 records when action was scrapped.
It did not help that 11 squads in the 12-team field were school-based teams.
The Aspirant’s Cup is usually being used by collegiate league squads to toughen up for their respective leagues such as the UAAP and the NCAA, while the season-ending Foundation Cup features club teams made up mostly of PBA rookie hopefuls and former pros.
The Commission on Higher Education released the safety and health guidelines for the resumption of varsity training last October.
