UP Fighting Maroons ink sponsorship deal with multinational corporation 3M

MANILA, Philippines – The rich just keep getting richer.

In another move to advance its basketball program, the University of the Philippines (UP) Fighting Maroons has signed a sponsorship deal with US-based multinational products giant 3M in UP Diliman, Tuesday, May 29.

An assortment of big names attended the contract signing, including UP System President Danilo Concepcion and 3M Philippines President and Managing Director Ariel Lacsamana, a UP alumnus.

In his speech, Lacsamana expressed his excitement in signing the sponsorship with his alma mater, and hoped that the team would find more success under the partnership.

“This is not the first time we are partnering with educational institutions or talent,” he said. “We do what we can to support and provide tools, resources and knowledge. We believe that the UP Men’s Basketball Team is talent worth investing in.”

Concepcion likewise, echoed his excitement and thanks to 3M for inking the partnership.

“With the UP Men’s Basketball Team’s current advocacy of rebuilding the team to its old glory days and 3M’s culture of innovation, the pairing seems to be a perfect match,” he said. “Both the team and the company have the same vision of striving for improvement and working towards perfection.”

Current UP head coach Bo Perasol, meanwhile, promised further improvement from a team that has experienced cellar-dwelling and even zero-win seasons multiple times since their last championship in 1986.

“We are not going to try – we will find ways how we can stand up with that kind of belief in our team,” said the incoming 3rd-year tactician. “I think I have the talent to stand up to that expectation and we will make sure that we are going to deliver this coming season and the seasons to come.”

Perasol and the Maroons have indeed collected an impressive number of talents, from reigning UAAP Rookie of the Year Juan Gomez de Liano to NCAA Juniors MVP Will Gozum  and finally, UAAP Mythical 5 member and former De La Salle University (DLSU) rising star Ricci Rivero – all of whom are part of the Gilas Pilipinas 2023 cadets. That’s not even including former University of Perpetual Help (UPH) foreign star Bright Akhuetie, who is finally set to suit up for UP in Season 81 after sitting out his eligibility year.

The Maroons barely missed out on a Final 4 spot last season with a 6-8 record, their best finish in about a decade.

With each passing year, #nowheretogobutUP is looking less and less like a catchphrase and more of a real thing. – Rappler.com