Salii salutes outgoing commissioner Venus

Mobil Oil Marianas industrial and wholesale territory manager Lucas Salii gave kudos to outgoing Mobil Oil Marianas Co-ed Invitational Basketball League commissioner Abner Venus during last week’s organizational meeting at Aqua Resort Club.

Salii said Venus has been at forefront of the only co-ed basketball competition on Saipan since the league’s inaugural season in 2001.

He said without the affable Microl-Toyota service and body shop manager, the Mobil co-ed league wouldn’t have attained the success it currently enjoys.

Salii said if it was up to him he wouldn’t have let Venus step down as league commissioner, but since new company policies stipulate that a Mobil employee should serve as head of the league, he had no choice but to appoint Mobil station manager Marvin Deocares as the new commissioner effective the 2007 season.

Deocares, who is stepping down as coach of Mobil effective next season to ensure fair play, also extended his gratitude to Venus for laying the groundwork the past six seasons and also for agreeing to serve as de facto league adviser.

A total of 11 teams will take part in the 2007 season led by defending champion Aqua Resort Club, reigning first runner-up Microl-Toyota, host Mobil, 2005 champion Fiesta Resort and Spa, Commonwealth Ports Authority, Commonwealth Utilities Corp., Hyatt Regency Saipan, McDonald’s Saipan, Saipan Ice Corp., and newcomers Joeten Enterprises and Saipan World Resort.

The Mobil co-ed basketball league was formed in 2001 to give the giant oil company a venue to fellowship with its client companies.

Since its inaugural season, the cagefest has grown in popularity and has attracted a following made up mostly of employees and staff of teams participating in league.

It has even survived the demise of league pioneer team Pacific Development Inc. (the 2003 champion) and that year’s second runner-up Pacific Island Aviation.

Last year, Aqua Resort leaned on its stratospheric frontline and bench depth to defeat pennant champion Microl in a one-game finals, 97-81.

The Mobil crown was previously worn by THC (2001), Microl (2002), PDI (2003), Aqua Resort Club (2004), and Fiesta Resort (2005).

For more information on the 2007 Mobil Oil Marianas Invitational Co-ed Basketball League, contact commissioner Deocares at 256-5515 or 287-7384.