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Thursday, November 03, 2005
Oyson: Seag Council can still overrule Fiba
By Manuel N. Oyson, Jr.
CounterPunch
The Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) has prepared a complaint against the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) to compel it to reinstate the BAP in the POC to save the holding of a basketball tournament in the Southeast Asian Games just 23 days from now. In basketball parlance, it is called a desperation last-second shot, with the BAP trailing by two points against the POC.
The complaint was supposed to be filed yesterday before the Manila RTC.
That was just a face-saving maneuver with no impact. With the International Basketball Federation sticking to its ruling that the Philippines is definitely out of Seag basketball which starts on Nov. 27, the most sensible thing to do would be to wave the red flag. But no, the BAP thinks that it still has a chance to salvage the sport, even if competing in it as a guest team only. How awkward for a host.
RUNNING OUT. But then again, the bright boys behind the suit feel that “they are doing what they think is right for the good of Philippine basketball.” Did you know who said that? Why, our friend, Graham Lim, the embattled sec-gen of BAP, who seems unscathed by the recent ruling of Malacañang junking his appeal to defer the order of the justice department to have him deported. The complainants are Christian Tan and Lito Alvarez, secretary general and deputy secretary general, respectively, of BAP.
Respondents are Peping Cojuangco, Robert Aventajado and Steve Hontiveros, president, chairman and secretary general, respectively, of the POC. The complainants gave the assurance that the complaint against the POC leadership will “enable the Philippines to participate in basketball in the 2005 Southeast Asian Games.” With time running out, I do not know how the Manila RTC can decide the complaint either way.
IMPLEAD. The respondents POC, et al. have to be served copies of the complaint and to file their timely answers. The respondents may even implead Patrick Baumann of Fiba in Switzerland. That will also take a longer time. Once the issues are joined and the court sets a hearing on the case, the Seag may have been long over. The case becomes moot and academic.
Unless there is a prayer for preliminary mandatory injunction to reinstate the BAP with the POC in the meantime and it is granted. But then the Fiba may have to be consulted and its OK secured. Will there be time? In what may be a worst-case scenario, the POC has created a six-man group to handle basketball “just to appease the public.” It will not be part of the official competitions but will be held at the same time as the biennial meet.
RETALIATE. First, the POC intends to bypass the Fiba and go directly to the Seag Federation Council. PDI quoted Aventajado as saying: “we will talk to the Seag council more than the Fiba.” The chairman of the Seag Federation Council is no less than Cojuangco, the RP being the host country. Even without the sanction of Fiba, basketball can still be included in the Seag if the Council chooses to, said Aventajado. The problem here is that Fiba may later on retaliate and ban RP from all Fiba-sanctioned meets everywhere.
POC spokesman Joey Romasanta has downplayed the latest move to the crisis besetting the Seag. “It’s more of a media mileage than a solution. What will be their basis for suing the POC when the BAP no longer has the legal personality? What they are doing is that they are just trying to make Mr. Cojuangco look bad.”
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “It pains us so much that the outcome so far can only be negative.” – Fiba sec-gen Patrick Baumann, reiterating Fiba’s stand that it will not sanction basketball in the Seag
(e-mail: sports@sunstar.com.ph)
(November 3, 2005 issue)
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