Marcial’s dreams: PBA home, women’s league, foreign games
LAS VEGAS—Eight years in charge of the PBA—and counting—Willie Marcial has accomplished some great things, saw some of his dreams for the league come to reality, but has some wishes he would like to see happen as he heads into another season of steering the ship.
“Of course, there’s still a lot,” Marcial told the Inquirer on Friday here, referring to at least three things which he would like to add to his legacy. “I would like to see those happen while I am in charge.”
Speaking a day after the annual planning of the league’s board of governors concluded at MGM Grand, Marcial said would like to see the PBA’s home arena built, a women’s PBA rise and for the league to play live in as many countries as possible.
“For me to see just the groundbreaking of our own home would be a really big thing,” he went on. “That has been the dream of many commissioners before me, of many board members (before the current ones).
“I am sure they are all waiting for that to happen,” he said. “Just like me.”
There was no opposition when Marcial’s term was renewed, as the PBA came close to breaking its all-time revenue record last season. And not only that, what he did during the pandemic is still fresh in the minds of the members of the board.
“In all humility, we were the only thing that was active at the height of the pandemic,” he said. “The league is just truly blessed. I think I am just truly blessed that we were able to pull that off twice.”
The WPBA is one of the things Marcial said he told the board he would want to establish when he took over eight years ago. And he believes that everyone in the league’s think-tank would still want that to happen.
Taking the games overseas is also another big thing that Marcial continues to work on. And as the league turns gold, it will travel to as far as New York in the United States for official games in June next year.
“So far, we have been doing a good job at that,” Marcial said as the league will also play in Qatar, Dubai, Saudi Arabia and one other country during the course of a 14-month 50th Season.
Meanwhile, aside from the pandemic tournaments that were played in Pampanga, Marcial lists as one of his mission accomplished the departure of the usual practice of the PBA teams of lending just one player each to the national program for big tournaments.
That has resulted in unprecedented success, counting the end of a 61-year wait to become kings of Asia again.
“It just warms the heart to see (the country win),” he said. “But it won’t stop there. The PBA will continue to support the national program.”
