Rara signs Extension with SMB

Olsen Racela

Olsen Racela signed a three-month extension with San Miguel Beer recently, setting him on course to being just the sixth player to see action in the PBA at age 40.

“It’s an exciting milestone and the challenge is there to try to still be relevant in the league,” Racela said.

The long-time leader of the vaunted San Miguel squad that clustered championships at the turn of the millennium, Racela is now hoping to find a career in coaching, either as an assistant with the Beermen or even a head coaching job with Ateneo, his alma mater.

“I’m really hoping that I can still be of service to San Miguel as an assistant coach or even a playing assistant coach if my contract is extended beyond November,” said the 39-year-old playmaker, who turns 40 on All Saints’ Day. “I’ve been in the league for 18 years and I’m hoping to share what I’ve learned with the next generation of San Miguel players.”

“That way, I’d also be able to give back to a company that has really taken good care of me throughout the years and really put its trust in me,” he said.

Racela started his career with the Purefoods franchise before being picked by former Beermen coach Ron Jacobs in 1997 to become the Beermen’s chief court general.

Racela had earlier remarked that one his goals in the future was to coach Ateneo in the UAAP someday.

The only other five players who played in their 40s were Robert Jaworski, Mon Fernandez, Abet Guidaben, Yoyoy Villamin and Terry Saldaña.