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Thursday, July 07, 2005
Oyson: RP forfeits Seag basketball title
By Manuel N. Oyson, Jr.
Counter Punch
Five months before the opening of the 2005 Southeast Asian Games, the Philippines has literally forfeited its championship in Men’s basketball. It now holds the dubious distinction being barred from sending an orphaned basketball team to an international tournament, including the 2005 Seag. The International Basketball Federation (Fiba) in Switzerland has just put a clamp on the Basketball Association of the Philippines and banned it from all Fiba-sanctioned tournaments until further notice.
The national quintet that it has belatedly sent to the Southeast Basketball Association (Seaba) Championships in Kuala Lumpur is now without a rudder. It suddenly was orphaned. The continuous strife and factionalism within Philippine basketball, including the professional league, has practically dashed all preparations and dreams of ever returning once more to basketball in the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008.
BARRED. The Seaba in Kuala Lumpur would have been a qualifying attempt for the Fiba-Asia Men’s basketball tournament in Doha, Qatar this year. The Seaba has spoken: Enough is enough. The next question: Are we still enthusiastic to host the 2007 ABC championships? Even the opportunity to play for a berth in the World Basketball Championships in Saitama, Japan in July next year is also in peril and sustains the POC’s earlier decision to expel the BAP.
The ominous message is that the Philippines may not even be allowed to defend its Men’s basketball title in the SEA Games in Manila this December, unless the Fiba reconsiders. What a disaster it would be. Other tournaments from which the Philippines would be barred include the annual Jones Cup in Taipei and the next Asian Games in Doha. All expectations for a return to the international club in basketball would be a lot of waste.
ORPHANED. The Fiba still recognizes the BAP as the national association affiliated with it and responsible for basketball in the country. It wants to hear from the Philippine Olympic Committee an explanation of what the POC considers “continuing defiance and intransigence,” which led to its expulsion.
The Fiba, in its letter dated July 3, also turned down the request of the POC to form a caretaker organization for basketball in the Philippines. If it’s any consolation, this is not be the first time that the Philippines is barred from the Fiba.
The orphaned national squad in Kuala Lumpur reportedly did not receive funding support from the Philippine Sports Commission. It was funded partly by Spring Cooking Oil. What it got instead was an endorsement from the POC. The same sanction was imposed in 1964 after basketball players from communist countries in Eastern Europe were not allowed to disembark at the airport to compete in the World Basketball Championships staged here.
DISBAND? What happens now to the national training teams that were organized last year purposely to perform better in the World Basketball Championships, Asian Games and hopefully find a slot in the Olympiad in Beijing? Will coach Chot Reyes disband the team and wait for further developments from Fiba? That would be only logical move to take. The Fiba ruling has practically grounded it indefinitely. I can understand the concern of PBA Commissioner Noli Eala.
He explained that the professional league is extremely concerned that all its efforts to regain the country’s standing in basketball in the region would go for naught. The Philippines placed third in the World Basketball Championships in Brazil in 1954 and the best in Asia until 1973 with the emergence of China, South Korea and Japan. I have not really been enthusiastic about RP basketball.
As I have said many times over, Filipinos are not cut for it because of our limited ceiling. That is why the PBA brings in imports to spice up the league. The PBA is only good for its entertainment and amusement value.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: ”I did my best. I almost went down on my knees to appeal to the POC but they didn’t heed my appeal and it’s the country that has suffered.” – BAP president Joey Lina, who had initially pleaded with the POC not to expel the BAP
(mno@sunstar.com.ph)
(July 7, 2005 issue)
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