LOS BANOS — Wednesday night’s game against Nanhai was the last match of Alab with Tanduay as its main sponsor.
But the day after the huge overtime win in Sta. Rosa City against Nanhai, team owner Charlie Dy announced that the Philippines’ representative to the ABL had a new partner.
“Alab Pilipinas… will now be San Miguel Alab Pilipinas,” the former coach turned player agent said in a statement via social media site Instagram.
This is San Miguel Corporation’s second foray to the ABL.
“We’re very thankful SMB welcomed us as they believe in our vision and they don’t want us to disappoint our supporters here and abroad,” Dy said.
SMC once had its own team in the said league in 2012 featuring a young Junemar Fajardo and eventually won the title the following year.
However, the club, interestingly known as the San Miguel Beermen, left the league afterward. The original Beermen team in the PBA, which was known then as the Petron Blaze Boosters, reclaimed the San Miguel Beermen label for the 2014 PBA season. Fajardo and Coach Leo Austria, who coached the SMB ABL squad, are now with the SMB PBA team.
“Ganyan kaming mga taga SMC. Para sa mga Pinoy, handa kaming saluhin,” said SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua. “Iba ang may pinagsamahan!“