Patriots’ Billy Ray Bates joins children in the AirAsia’s basketball clinic in Clark on Saturday.
Photo by Ric Gonzales
CLARK FREEPORT – AirAsia Philippines Patriots on Saturday paid tribute to Billy Ray Bates, its newly-hired skills coach who was once dubbed as best-ever import of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
AirAsia-Philippines CEO Maan Hontiveros spearheaded their firm’s basketball training here featuring Bates, who led the defunct Crispa and Toyota PBA teams to championships in the 80’s.
Jacque Ruby, marketing officer of AirAsia, said “Bates was taken in not just for his basketball skills and experience but to inspire children to be achiever in sports.”
For her part, Hontiveros said AirAsia has constantly dedicated itself to supporting sports not only abroad but also in the Philippines.
“Today, we are taking our partnership a step farther with a community project which aims to involve Filipino kids and their parents in the sport of basketball,” Hontiveros added.
The Patriots will join the 3rd season of the ASEAN Basketball League (ABL) set to start on January. They won the championship in inaugural season but lost in the finals to Thailand Slammers the following year.
Bates, who played four seasons with the Portland Trailblazers of the National Basketball Association (NBA), said “I see a bright prospect for the Patriots.”
“But I will stress to them that defense wins championship,” he added.
Bates said the level of basketball in the country has improved tremendously and if these boys and girls start learning the skills now, the Philippines will have a good shot at winning world championships and Olympic medals in the near future.
More than 200 children from different schools in Pampanga joined the basketball clinic graced by Atty. Felipe Antonio Remollo, president and CEO of the Clark Development Corp. (CDC).
Remollo announced that he will provide an area at Clark for the permanent home-gym of the Patriots.
AirAsia basketball clinics will also be conducted on November 6 in Caloocan City, November 25 at Don Bosco Mandaluyong-Makati and December 5 in Angeles City, Pampanga.
