ROBERT JAWORSKI, right, wants E. J. Feihl back to team up with ace center Marlou Aquino who is shown beside him.

Ginebra San Miguel playing-coach Robert Jaworski is not closing the door on E.J. Feihl, his disgruntled center who wants to transfer to another team. In a tone that was a departure from his usual combative nature, Jaworski spread the welcome mat to his 7-foot protegy. "All I can say is I like him (Feihl) and I tried to do a lot of things for the guy," said Jaworski after the team's practice last Wednesday night when asked about the latest development on Feihl whose contract negotiations have dragged on for weeks.

The 50-year-old playing-coach, departing from his ascerbic comments just several days back when he fell short of stating that Feihl was only after money, said he now believed that there's a possibility that Feihl would remain with his old team. "EJ is always welcome to comeback," Jaworski said after Feihl decided to cut the negotiations and fly to Hong Kong for a respite. Jaworski asked Feihl to ponder his playing career by himself and for once, to stop listening to his controversial agent-manager Nonie Mediarito.

"Aba dapat sa kanya, magsimula na siyang mag-isip sa ginagawa niya," said Jaworski. "Sa tingin ba niya, gagaling siya bilang manlalaro kung makikinig sa ibang tao?" he said referring to Mediarito. The league's tallest player jolted the league when, after weeks of absence, suddenly called a press conference last Friday to announce that he wanted to leave Ginebra and transfer to another ballclub, more particularly to Formula Shell. Feihl said that he wanted to leave to attain his full potential as a player which he said he could not do by playing back-up center to Marlou Aquino.

Shell has promised him a starting center position. But Ginebra officials did not buy this explanation saying that money was the main reason for Feihl's dissilusionment. Feihl, through his manager, is reportedly asking for a three-year, P15-million contract while Ginebra was willing to grant him less than that-a two-year contract allowing for P150,000 a month in the first year and P200,000 a month in the second or a total of P3.5 million.

A day after Mediarito and Feihl met with PBA Commissioner Jun Bernardino, the two flew to Hong Kong. "Baka meron lang siyang (Feihl) aasikasuhin sa Hong Kong," jested Jaworski upon learning of Feihl's sudden departure. "I think we can put this issue behind us if he comes back," said Monchet Carballo, the Ginebra team manager. "I do not believe that he (Feihl) has no future with us." Carballo said he was not aware of Feihl's sudden "vacation", in fact the Gins' front office was waiting for Feihl's call to resume negotiations. Making things harder for Feihl is the absence of any offer sheet. Shell which was reportedly interested in acquiring the slotman preferred to stay in the sidelines waiting for the outcome of the Ginebra-Feihl negotiation. -NOEL L. RODRIGUEZ

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