Thursday, May 15, 2008 Fiba sec-gen lashes at BAP’s Lim By Marian C. Baring Sun.Star Staff Reporter
GRAHAM Lim may have stirred a lot of pots as of late as he tries to hold competitions that is making a lot of noise in the local basketball scene, however, the international governing body for basketball has stepped into the fracas and said it has had enough.
The Federation Internationale de Basketball (Fiba), once and for all, issued a statement through Fiba secretary-general Patrick Baumann, dismissing Graham Lim from any association or participation in Fiba.
Lim is currently a board member of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas(BAP-SBP), the national governing body for basketball.
According to Baumann’s letter, this was a decision handed down by the Fiba Central Board, which met at the end of April in Beijing, China.
“The Central Board has decided to dismiss Lim with immediate effect from his membership to the Youth Commission of Fiba. His continuous actions to disrupt the proper functioning of the BAP-SBP, using the BAP (former national sports association for basketball) is unacceptable. These discredit basketball and are incompatible with a position within the Fiba family,” Baumann said quoting the Central Board.
Ridiculous
However, Lim dismissed this saying that it is ridiculous. “That is ridiculous. What did I do wrong? Did they ever investigate me? This is injustice,” Lim said.
Lim said that what he does is for the good of Philippine basketball. Lim had been staging competitions, even here in Cebu, specifically the National Schools Basketball Championships (NSBC), under BAP, which is no longer recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee and Fiba.
BAP-SBP did not want any of its stakeholders to take part in the NSBC because it will only cause confusion. This, in turn, caused division among BAP-SBP members, including the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc., a stakeholder.
“BAP still exists. Why would we be fighting if it no longer does? We are just protecting the merger. BAP-SBP just won’t recognize this,” Lim said.
However, according to the letter, the Central Board also decided to “disregard any communication coming from the former organization BAP as it has no rights with Fiba.
This organization has been merged into the new federation BAP-SBP and thus no longer exists.”
Lim however contends that what is happening in the country’s basketball politics is internal and has nothing to do with his post in the Youth Commission for Fiba.
Lim also added that he believes the Central Board has nothing to do with it and that it is all Baumann’s move.
“If there is anyone who is causing disorder it is Baumann and not me. This is clearly a personal attack on me. I am not the only one fighting for BAP. There is Congressman Luis Villafuerte and Prospero Pichay. How come I am the only one they are attacking,” Lim said.
Lim added that he and Baumann were at odds and Baumann had “verbally abused” him prompting him to ask for an apology. This, Lim thinks, is the reason, why Baumann wanted him out.
Baumann’s letter also said that the Fiba Central Board had discussed the basketball issues in the country and once more has thrown its full support to the BAP-SBP and the duly elected leadership.
Fiba will also avoid entering into internal political debates typical for an electoral year, but to continue supporting the federation in its efforts to comply with the approved by-laws of BAP-SBP.
