By Rey Joble

THE goodwill series between the Powerade-RP Team against the Sydney Spirit is a go.

The Philippine Basketball Association agreed to shoulder the airfare, hotel accommodation, food and transportation allowance of the Australian delegation, headed by the Spirit?s marketing manager Marco Selorio.

Selorio is a Filipino based in Sydney and has been with the team since it was still known as the Sydney Kings, a three-time champion of Australia?s professional league?the National Basketball League.

?We talked over the phone and we agreed to take care of the airfare, hotel accommodation, food and transportation allowance,? PBA media bureau chief Willie Marcial told Standard Today. ?What we scrapped over their proposal was the per diem allowance. But everything went on smoothly. Magaan kausap si Marco.?

The deal is expected to be finalized soon as the target date of the two-game goodwill series is either the first or second week of April in Manila. The venue could either be The Arena in San Juan or the Cuneta Astrodome.

?Manila is the ideal place because we?re all set in Araneta for the PBA calendar. We should also look at schedule of the PBA kung saan hindi makakaapekto ?yung goodwill series sa games ng PBA,? said Marcial, who is also the special assistant to PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios.

Selorio said he is planning to bring in a strong 10-man lineup to be handled by Rob Beveridge, director of the Australian Institute of Sports.

The AIS is one of the best sports institutions in the world. As proof of how good its program is, an under-19 team stunned the RP Team of coach Chot Reyes in the William Jones Cup tournament in 2005.