Advertisement

Dan Palami named team manager of UP Fighting Maroons

Dan Palami (left) is the new team manager of the UP Fighting Maroons. (Photo by Bob Guerrero)

The man mainly credited with the revival of Philippine football will now take on an even more daunting challenge: manage the University of the Philippines men's basketball team.

Yahoo Philippines Sports has learned that Dan Stephen Palami, the chief benefactor of the Azkals, the country's national football team, will now also serve as the team manager of the Fighting Maroons, bidding to inject life into the university's long-suffering basketball program.

Palami, 43, earned his with degree in Business Administration and Accountancy at UP and is a Certified Public Accountant. He is considered one of the most successful businessmen in the country, and will try to inject into the Fighting Maroons the same winning formula he used on the Azkals.

A source with knowledge of the situation told Yahoo Philippines that Palami will not be the sole financier of the Maroons, but rather will spearhead efforts to raise funds for the team and will act as the point person for the team's finances.

However, Palami will have his hands full in trying to turn the fortunes around of UP, which last won a UAAP men's cage crown in 1986 behind a squad by bannerred by pro league greats Benjie Paras and Ronnie Magsanoc.

Since then, the Fighting Maroons endured long, painful campaigns, having last reach the Final Four in 1997 while finishing with 0-14 records thrice since 2007.