BASKETBALL Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) president Manny V. Pangilinan wanted the issue about BAP to be finally put to bed, reiterating that the BAP was dissolved a year ago.
“I am issuing this statement to reach out to all basketball stakeholders to unite and support our national federation,” said Pangilinan.
This stemmed out after a supposedly dissolved BAP still continues to operate as of the moment and as a result is causing confusion. The most recent of which is the National Students Basketball Championship (NSBC), which BAP is staging here in Cebu next week and are enticing BAP-SBP schools to join.
Pangilinan reminded everyone in the basketball community of the joint communiqué that was agreed and signed upon by both BAP and then Pilipinas Basketball (PB) in Tokyo, Japan, in August of 2006.
“The joint communiqué, which was agreed and signed by both BAP and PB and witnessed by Fiba, made it clear that once a national association for basketball is established—which is now the BAP-SBP—both the BAP and PB will be dissolved and cease to operate.
“Any activity, program or event related to basketball and requiring national federation approval, must have the prior sanction of the BAP-SBP,” Pangilinan said in the statement.
Pangilinan also said the absence of sanction will make the activity, event or program unofficial. “Thus it is not approved by BAP-SBP and not sanctioned by Fiba. The world governing body of basketball,” he added.
The NSBC, which will take center stage on Jan. 22, had caused a stir in the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation, a BAP-SBP stakeholder.
Three Cesafi-member schools reportedly confirmed their participation, but in a check with these schools as of yesterday, they remained uncertain of joining.
The Cesafi held a board meeting earlier this week, wherein an earlier board resolution regarding banning teams from joining non BAP-SBP-sanctioned competition was reinforced.
BAP and BAP-SBP region head Lorenzo “Chao” Sy also announced that teams from Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines and National Collegiate Athletic Association are joining.
This was, however, denied by BAP-SBP official Patrick Greogrio. “He should ask these schools if they are joining. Because as far as I know they are not,” he said.
Sun.Star Cebu sought Sy for comment, but calls went unanswered.
Like the Cesafi, both the UAAP and NCAA are stakeholders of BAP-SBP. (MCB)
