MANILA – Alaska Aces is ending its almost three decades of Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) stint at the close of the ongoing Governor’s Cup this year.
In a stunning announcement, the Alaska organization said it is leaving the league for good after 36 years, where they took home 14 PBA titles, including a Grand Slam.
“After more than three decades of basketball, 14 titles, and a grand slam, it is with a heavy heart that Alaska Milk Corp. (AMC) announces the retirement of its Alaska Aces team from the PBA,” Aces said in a statement.
According to the team, the decision was done by Alaska’s parent company, Royal FrieslandCampina, which bought a majority stake in the company from the Uytengsus in 2019.
Despite the sale three years ago, Alaska still participated in the PBA under an agreement that AMC chairman Wilfred Uytengsu retained control of the team’s operations.
“The company, however, is pulling the plug on the PBA in line with the global directive of Royal FrieslandCampina to implement an organizational transformation that ensures long-term business sustainability,” the team said.
Uytengsu, in a separate statement, said it was a tough decision for the Alaska management to leave the league but the company has to focus on other things.
“We thought long and hard before making this final decision. However, we believe this will allow us to focus our resources on providing affordable nutrition for Filipino families,” said Uytengsu.
The Aces first hinted of its decision to leave the PBA at the end of the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup in Pampanga but have decided to play for another season in 2021.
In the ongoing PBA Governors’ Cup, the Aces is at sixth place in the standings with three victories and two defeats./PN
