Former Barangay Ginebra forward Ronald Magtulis is joining hands with ex-national team strategist Joe Lipa in running the affairs of Ballout Sports, a fledgling basketball league which will launch its first conference this month.
Magtulis, a standout of the Far Eastern University during the late 1990s has been appointed as head of the basketball operations with Lipa on top as commissioner.
“I’m so excited, especially when (Ballout) President (Cris Bautista) told me that Coach Joe will be the commissioner. I know, I have so many things to learn from him in handling basketball affairs,” said Magtulis, who was a vital cog on the Tamaraws lineup that beat Jong Uichico’s La Salle in the 1997 UAAP championships.
Owing to his solid showing for the Morayta-based school, Barangay Ginebra signed him up as an undrafted player in the year 2000 alongside Alex Crisano.
Later on, Magtulis would see action in two more PBA squads — Purefoods and Cola-Cola — before calling it a day in 2007.
“When I retired in 2007, I was lucky to handle Lourdes School-Antipolo,” Magtulis said. “But I also handled leagues in the barangays. I was a part of the barangay council and handling sports activities. I was the one doing basketball clinics as well.”
Magtulis swears he knows the game and how to stage them like the back of his hand.
“There were open tournaments that I was able to handle before as well. So, we’re no strangers to these things.”
Ballout Sports’ first conference will have several collegiate and club teams joining, including AMA University and University of Makati, two squads which had confirmed participation earlier.
For Lipa, working with Magtulis will make his job a lot easier, knowing that he’ll be able to work with somebody has a solid basketball background.
