Bert Lina’s success in sports, business incomparable
by JOSEF T. RAMOS
Tuesday, Apr 27, 2010
 IF THERE is a businessman whose passion for sports and business are incomparable and impressive, Alberto ‘Bert’ Lina has delivered successful results to basketball, cycling and different businesses throughout the years.
Lina, who celebrated his birthday this April, is the franchise team owner of the Air21 Express in the Philippine Basketball Association and the cyclists’ all-time benefactor since then.
With his strength in freight, cargo forwarding services and restaurant industry, among other businesses, are continuously propping up, Lina’s name surges on top among successful brightest businessmen of all time.
“It’s all hard work and dedication when you want something to become successful,” said Lina, who considers sports as one of the ingredients to turn his company sucessful in so many means.
“When you’re physically fit, you can do almost anything. How can you steer your business or whatever work you are doing if your body is weak?” asked Lina, who admits that golf as the sport that consumes most of his free time.
Lina is the owner of Air21 (exclusive licensee of Fedex in the Philippines), Mail and More, UBE Media and the fast growing restaurant Burger King in the Philippines, and other business establishments.
“A healthy citizenry is capable of steering this nation to progress. But it must start in the grassroots. I think all cities and municipalities must expand or increase the number of their playgrounds, so that the youth can engage in sports,” said Lina.
“As for the sports stadiums, they must be available to the people at all times. Maintaining them must be a priority.”
In 1998, Lina joined the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) through his Laguna Lakers team, which also represented the Philippines in several Asian tournaments such as the Asian Basketball Confederation in 1999 and the Jones Cup in 2000 and 2001, among others.
When the MBA folded in 2002, Lina bought the franchise of Tanduay in the PBA and named it FedEx Express.
Now known as Air21, the Lina franchise has endeared itself to PBA fans due to its exciting, run-and-gun type of play.
“Mr. Lina is not your typical PBA owner. Yes, he gets a natural high seeing his team play in the PBA, but what really makes him proud is when his teams, both in the MBA and in the PBA, get to represent the country in international tournaments,” said Lito Alvarez, president of Airfreight 2100, Lina’s flagship company.
“Basta para sa bayan, you can count Mr. Lina in.”
Only recently, Lina, who revived the fabled tour, through his Padyak Pinoy, was one of the chief proponents of Le Tour de Filipinas, which opened the doors to foreign cyclists to pit their skills against the Philippines’ best.
“We need to do that because we want our cyclists to learn from the best,” said Lina.
Lina, who only last week organized the Alberto D. Lina Golf Cup, now on its 20th staging, and is coming off his third career hole-in-one at the second Phoenix Open at Palos Verdes Golf and Residential Estates, Davao City on March 6.
His first hole-in-one was in China, his second at Ayala Greenfield.
“If you can’t play golf or any kind of sport for that matter, you can still be physically fit if you make 5,000 to 10,000 steps in one day,” said Lina.
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Johann Heinrich Lambert G. Ramos serves as President of Linaheim Corporate Services, Inc., which is a proud member of the Lina Group of Companies. He was appointed President last January 2010...
IF THERE is a businessman whose passion for sports and business are incomparable and impressive, Alberto "Bert" Lina has delivered successful results to basketball, cycling and different businesses throughout the years...
