MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles) – Basketball and boxing are the top favorites in the Philippines and the professional associations overseeing them have announced an unprecedented move to seal this special bond between the two sports.

Today, the Philippine Boxing Federation (PBF) announced that basketball will now fall under its jurisdiction,  practically dissolving the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA). The ‘combined’ league will be officially known as the PBBL or Philippine Boxing and Basketball League.

Professional and amateur basketball games in the Philippines often end up in fist fights among players and fans that the PBA thought it best to have a single organization that would oversee both basketball and boxing.

The announcement was celebrated in Los Angeles by Manny Pacquiao where the champion Filipino boxer was training for his May 2nd fight against American Floyd Mayweather at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Pacquiao, aside from being a boxer (and congressman), is a playing coach of KIA Sorento, one of the competiting professional teams in the PBA.