THE University of the Philippines Men’s Basketball Team (UPMBT) got another shot in the arm after renewing its partnership with staunch backer Januarius Holdings Inc. (JHI) and its subsidiary STATS Performance Apparel for the next two University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) seasons.
The company’s support was instrumental in the Fighting Maroons’ rise over the last few seasons with JHI Chairman and CEO JJ Atencio bankrolling the team’s overseas training in Serbia, Japan and the United States with STATS serving as official outfitter.
Atencio announced that JHI will also provide the Maroons with data analytics technology, which is being used by elite teams in different leagues overseas.
“What’s exciting for us starting this year is analytics,” said Atencio, whose company was among the first to help the Maroons in 2017 when the program began its turnaround. “That’s one of the things we are working on with the team and that’s what we’re looking forward to—how it would help them.”
Atencio said the results the past few years fueled his drive to further support the team, which reached the finals in 2018 and registered another Final Four appearance last season.
“Our journey with the UPMBT started three years ago, when, acting on a strong gut feeling, we decided to be major sponsors, despite the team just coming out of a lackluster season, the absence of significant community support, and my not even being a UP alumnus,” Atencio said. “
UP Head Coach Bo Perasol, Team Manager Atty. Agaton Uvero, nowheretogobutUP Foundation Founder Renan Dalisay, JHI Chief Operating Officer Marcy Venezuela and STATS Chief Executive Officer Edrin Panganiban were present in the recent MOA signing ceremony.
“We are beyond grateful for having JJ [Atencio] and JHI in the team for the past three years and a couple more,” Perasol said. “Despite the Covid-19 situation, he still chose to stay on. He is as determined as we are to see everything through.”