This year saw an extraordinary PBA Rookie Draft that did not take place in a mall.
Due to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, the hopefuls and aspirants were in the comforts of their home. Meanwhile, league and team officials were at the TV5 Media Center in Sheridan, Mandaluyong during draft night.
But the city of Sta. Rosa gave Jaydee Tungcab a special surprise. Instead of logging on through Zoom inside his house, Mayor Arlene Arcillas and Congressman Dan Fernandez gave Tungcab the entire Sta. Rosa Multi-purpose Complex for him, his family, and his friends.
“Gusto talaga nila mayor na maganda ‘yung venue. Pati ‘yung couch inasikaso nila. After nga noon, tumalon nga ko sa pool e. Siyempre masaya din ako sobra,” expressed the 23-year-old University of the Philippines product to Tiebreaker Times.
“Sobrang nagpapasalamat talaga ako sa kanila. Laking tulong talaga nila sa akin. Namomoblema ako noon kung sa’n ako puwepuwesto kasi maliit lang sa bahay. Talagang sinuportahan nila ako dahil ako lang ‘yung naging PBA galing Sta. Rosa, at Gilas pa.”
Tungcab was supposed to play for B.League Div II team Koshigaya but saw the plan stopped due to travel bans. He was the last pick in the special Gilas round by TNT.
Hearing his name called was a dream come true for Tungcab.
“Masaya ako sobra kasi matagal na namin pangarap ‘to ng family ko na makapunta sa PBA. Tsaka answered prayer ito. Napunta pa sa magandang team, kaya sobrang blessed talaga,” said Tungcab, a 6-foot-2 defensive specialist.
Despite wearing a dapper suit and some shiny pair of brown leather shoes, Tungcab immediately jumped into the pool of the complex. Afterward, his family presented him with a special dinner.
His celebration was short-lived, though. Less than 24 hours after the draft, it was back to work for Tungcab, heading to nearby Calamba to join Gilas.
This time around, there are a lot of new faces in the national team as they prepare for the Clark window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers and the Belgrade Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
“Siyempre, tagal ko rin naghintay. Iba pa rin ‘yung training sa Gilas. Sobrang blessed pa rin dahil hindi ko inaasahan na makakabalik ako,” said Tungcab about his Gilas comeback.
“Medyo may challenge siyempre kasi may bagong kasama, pero excited ako na may bagong mga kakampi.”
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