BY NOLI CORTEZ

COCA-Cola is sticking it out with Kenneth Duremdes as the Tigers’ head coach, at least for the upcoming PBA Fiesta Conference.

Coke team manager JB Baylon stressed this yesterday, effectively debunking widely-circulating reports the franchise is keen on tapping resigned Red Bull coach Yeng Guiao.

"We have informally agreed to renew his (Duremdes’) services with the team," Baylon said in an interview.

Duremdes’ contract as a player expired last Dec. 31. He took over as the Tigers’ interim head coach four games into the season-opening Philippine Cup and finished with a 6-9 win-loss record.

"We are quite satisfied with his performance and we are hoping he will become the next Boyet Fernandez," Baylon added, referring to the former player who steered Sta. Lucia Realty to last year’s Philippine Cup title in only his second conference as head coach of the Realtors.

Baylon also said there have never been any formal negotiations with Guiao, who resigned from Red Bull last Dec. 27.

An independent source claimed there will not be any Coke-Guiao talks since the coach’s mercurial temper runs contrary to the company’s family-oriented image.

Baylon refused to comment on this, preferring instead to concentrate on his team’s plans for the import-flavored Fiesta Conference that starts Feb. 28.

"Our focus is to get the right import and our injured players back," he said.

The Tigers wound up with a 7-12 record overall and finished ninth in the current RP Cup after injuries and illnesses hounded the team throughout the tournament.

Duremdes is also being asked for his input on how to further strengthen the team.

"In our initial talks, we asked Kenneth what he wants for the team, such as players and the like," Baylon related.

Meanwhile, Air21 Lito Alvarez sees nothing standing in the way of the Express changing their name to the Burger King Whoppers come the Fiesta Cup.

Alvarez said Burger King is a subsidiary of the Bert Lina Group of companies, with Lina, who owns the Air21 franchise, owning 60 percent of the popular burger chain in the country.

PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios had said before last Christmas his office is looking on whether or not fees can be charged to Air21, since Burger King could be considered a new franchise, hence, a new team.

"Makikita naman sa incorporation papers na Mr. Lina is the majority owner of Burger King, kaya kung may babayaran man kami, 10 percent lang o P7 million ng aming franchise fee of P70 million," reasoned Alvarez.

"Mission accomplished na kasi ang Air21 sa PBA," Alvarez continued. "In our two years sa PBA, naging No. 1 na kami sa business."

The entry of the Whoppers in the PBA will coincide with the company’s plans of expanding its current outlets of 23 to 60 in four years’ time, Alvarez added, "and we feel na Burger King is tailor-made for the PBA since it is a consumer product."

Manny V. Pangilinan, the business tycoon who owns Talk N Text, owns just a small part of Burger King, 13 percent to be exact, according to Alvarez, who is co-owner along with Wilson Young of Tanduay and Ricky Vargas of Smart-PLDT. Each has a 5 percent-share with the rest of the stake owned by the middlemen who made the merger of the group possible.