New Ginebra recruit Troy Rosario makes his PBA Commissioner’s Cup debut. – PBA IMAGES
When the opportunity arose to sign with the team that idolized him as a baby, Troy Rosario didn’t hesitate to fulfill his dream.
“Why not?” Rosario told The Inquirer ahead of his Barangay Ginebra debut in Wednesday’s PBA Commissioner’s Cup match against NLEX at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium.
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It’s also a brand new starting for Justine Baltazar, who will face a Converge team on Thursday at the same venue, which is able to finally face undefeated NorthPort.
Baltazar was placed on the FiberXers’ energetic roster days after he led the Pampanga Giant Lanterns to a second straight MPBL title and then formalized his move to the PBA after signing a contract with team owner Dennis Anthony Uy.
But as Baltazar prepares for the challenge of proving his value as a top prospect in the PBA Rookie Draft after dominating the regional scene for the past two seasons, Rosario wanted to showcase a talent that Ginebra hopes will fill his midfield needs .
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Rosario became an unrestricted free agent after two years with Blackwater and reportedly had offers from former teams TNT and Converge.
But Rosario felt that being with Ginebra was something she couldn’t pass on.
“When I got the chance to choose my childhood dream, why would I miss the opportunity to fulfill it [that]?” Rosario said in Filipino.
“Smooth Transition”
Rosario’s signing became official in the last week of November after the official squads for the mid-season tournament were discreetly revealed.
Ginebra is pinning its hopes on Rosario to meet his needs by way of a physical presence on the pitch and a flexible attacking player.
While she seems to be an ideal fit for her latest team, Rosario also admitted there is still plenty of work to be done, beyond Wednesday’s tussle with NLEX.
“It’s a smooth transition, but at the same time there is a lot to do,” he said. “Of course, it takes time to learn a system that has been implemented for a few years, and I even have only been on the team for a couple of weeks. However, I’ll do all the pieces in my power to make up for all my shortcomings.
Meanwhile, FibreXers are expected to slowly calm down Baltazar until he is fully integrated into the team.
However, the Converge coaching staff is convinced that Baltazar can have no problems passing the adjustment stage.
“Balti will learn quickly because we know the other players’ games,” FiberXers assistant coach Charles Tiu told The Inquirer. “I trained him in the past [with Strong Group Athletics in the Dubai Invitational] and also some of our sets are similar to those in Pampanga.”
Tiu was referring to Converge consultant Rajko Toroman, who assisted the Giant Lanterns during their successful MPBL title run, which ended with the Quezon Huskers winning three games in the national finals.
How long or how short Baltazar will play in his debut, following the recent conclusion of the eight-month MPBL season, FiberX players will discover after they tackle the Batang Pier.
“We need to find out how much he will play at the beginning, considering he hasn’t had much chance to rest,” Tiu said.