Hot from the PBA – the Magnolia Hotshots
Now carrying the banner Magnolia Hotshots, the team formerly called Star Hotshots looks forward to opening a new chapter in its PBA history while striving to maintain the winning tradition of the Purefoods franchise.
“It will be a challenge to the team. Every time there’s switch in name, the team wins a championship,” Hotshots team manager Alvin Patrimonio said during the media launch for the Magnolia Hotshots Pambansang Manok squad yesterday at the Ynares Arena in Pasig. “It will be an exciting season again with a new team name.”
Coach Chito Victolero and the current batch led by captain Rafi Reavis, co-captain Marc Pingris and veterans Paul Lee and PJ Simon are determined to live up to Patrimonio’s expectations.
“There’s pressure but we accept the challenge. We’re really working hard to improve the team some more,” said Victolero.
“We’re in this team because we love challenge. We’re actually challenging ourselves even in practice,” said Pingris.
The Hotshots are bringing back 14 mainstays from last year with rookie signees Rob Herndon and Gwynne Capacio giving a helping hand in their quest for glory.
“We’re a complete team and we have an intact core,” said Victolero. “So far so good, as far as preparation is concerned. At this stage, we’re working on conditioning to avoid player injuries and playing tune-up games.”
The franchise primarily used the Purefoods brand but time and again switched names, going with B-Meg then San Mig Coffee during the grand slam years before Star Hotshots and now Magnolia Chicken.
“We really wanted to put emphasis on health and nutrition aspect in relation to sports,” San Miguel Foods, Inc. president Rita Palabyab said. ”Magnolia as a brand has always been targeted to housewives and we realized we have to expand that base and reach out to young people through sports. And health and nutrition and sports are closely intertwined.”