UAE Xchange Centre clinch PBA Championship

The UAE Xchange Centre basketball team dethroned reigning champions Al Wasl to win the 9th PBA Championship last week.

Playing in only their second PBA Class A league, UAE Xchange won the best-of-five final series 3-1 to thwart the hat trick of the 2003 and 2004 winners.

The winners won the first match of the final series 72-70, lost the second 79-80 but won the next two 75-73 and 97-84.

"It was a very tough competition and the main reason for our win was the excellent team-work," said skipper Rene Cuba.

"The first three finals were very close. But we just kept concentrating on the job," Cuba said.

Dhon Robles, the team's coach was the man instrumental in getting the NMC Group to form the team. "We had a few of our staff who used to play for other teams. Last year B.R. Shetty, the NMC Group Managing Director and UAE Xchange General Manager Sudhir Kumar Shetty wanted us to field our own team," Robles said.

Philippine Ambassador to the UAE Cibran Cabactulan, B.R. Shetty and Sudhir Shetty attended a felicitation party on Sunday night to honour the winning team.

"We already have cricket teams which are doing well. We found the Filipinos good at basketball and the PBA event here draws a good crowd," said B.R Shetty.

"We are happy that our team won this prestigious event," said Shetty.

The team now prepares for the UAE Open Cup, which begins tomorrow with matches to be played in Dubai and Sharjah.