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Today I learned a shameful news – The Talk n Text Tropang Texters team were stranded in Dubai Airport. Thanks to the promoter Mr. Ramon Pizarras who left them out after the celebrated games. According to a reliable source, the organizers missed to pay the hotel bills of the teams and their return tickets.
According to Coach Chot Reyes tweet (below), the (Asiana?) Hotel management refused to release their passport after knowing that an amount of $8000 is still in due. All three teams (Ginebra and BMEG the other 2) paid the remaining hotel fees from their own pocket in order for their passport to be released.
Unfortunately, Talk N’ Text Tropang Texters was the only team stranded at Dubai Airport.
@coachot Chot Reyes
Nightmare in Dubai! Hotel refuses to release all 3 teams’ passports as organizer still has $8000 debt. We had to advance d funds! Anobayan
I don’t have to add up anything else. Just look at the photos and read their tweets below and tell me how you’ll feel.
rich_alvarez Richard Alvarez
Man, first they wouldnt release our passports at the hotel, and now they didnt confirm our plane tickets!? This isnt good..
@JAlapag3 Jimmy Alapag
Could be in for a long night if we don’t get on this flight back to Manila…
@mtnpeek Ali Peek
Pissed off man! How irresponsible! How s the league gnu 2 leave the champs behind in the middle east to fend 4 themselves!
@mtnpeek Ali Peek
I dropped $6,000 2 help some of my teammates get a flight bk home! Oh! I’m gng 2 get my cash back n sm1 has to pay!
@JAlapag3 Jimmy Alapag
Midnight here at Dubai airport trying to get these flights back to Manila organized…
rich_alvarez Richard Alvarez
Looks like we are stuck in Dubai for at least a day, unless we can pull off a miracle! I love it here, but I miss my fiance and my family.
@ManilaBlack4 Harvey Carey
Bad business…
@coachot Chot Reyes
Here na in Bahrain.Still cant get over leaving my guys behind,but cudnt offload my luggage anymore + twas best so less pax to worry about.
@coachot Chot Reyes
UNBELIEVABLE how badly d PBA handled this trip, esp since I warned them already about this promoter, coz this is NOT d 1st time this happnd
@coachot Chot Reyes
A coach is only as good as his assts:goodwork @scwtN! update coach: 345am emirates 3 pax, 555am Qatar flight 13 pax, 945am emirates 3 pax
j_rey_8 Josh Reyes
by coachot hey, @pbaprodteam , how can you let this happen?? iniwanan kami ng lahat? shouldered hotel bill, paying for our tickets with personal money.
@aresgutlerrez Ares Gutierrez
by coachot @TinaMaralit @coachot shucks.. promoter was notorious. local basketball community avoids them like a plague. ewan ko ba pano nito nagoyo PBA
@coachot Chot Reyes
To those asking, d name of Dubai promoter is Ramon Pizarras. I warned d PBA about him na, pero tinuloy pa rin e — kami pa nadamay 🙁
fmango Fidel Mangonon III
Either this bad experience in Dubai for TNT has ‘grandslam’ written all over it, or is a bad omen re: its particular bid for it.
@rich_alvarez Richard Alvarez
So we’ve been in the airport for 9 hours.. We had to buy our own plane tickets because our promoter couldn’t settle the bill.. Wow.
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With regards to my issue with Mr. Ramon Pizarras, it was clear that my work had been used all throughout the event. This photo below shows that customized PBA (Dubai) logo -with buildings silhouette at the back – and yet I got no single word from him.
I promoted his event on my network. That blog entry alone got 5,348 hits, 433 times shared on Facebook, and 97 times Tweeted, and I got loads of calls and politely lead them to ticket sales. And no word from Mr. Ramon Pizarras. I designed the shirt and logo despite my super busy schedule (because he follows up). I was not asking for payment – I only hold on to his promise that
- I’ll be receiving an allowance for the shirt design
- I will be joining their committee and will be receiving an allowance (means automatic entry to the games)
- I will be his official photographer on upcoming sports events
- I will be his official blogger / publisher on upcoming sports events