Wednesday, July 09, 2008 Coaches group prefers neutrality
WHILE the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi) gets criticized for deciding to support both factions of the Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP), the officials of the Basketball Coaches of the Philippines (BCAP), on the other hand, is making a huge statement that sliced through the stiff air surrounding the rivalry between the faction of communication mogul Manny Pangilinan and politician Prospero Pichay.
BCAP officials led by secretary-general Tanny Gonzales, Chito Narvasa and Ogie Narvasa are taking a stand on the issue as to which faction the Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is legitimate and that is not siding with any group at all.
“We decided to be independent. It is best for our group not to commit with any of them because that way we will be able to go the direction we want to take,” Chito Narvasa said.
Purpose
Narvasa added that they refused to be members with these groups, which could not put away differences and unite for the same purpose that both claim to be fighting for—basketball.
“We could not give them blind loyalty. And right now, us coming here in Cebu might have some reactions but we honestly don’t care,” said Narvasa.
There might seem to have no trouble at all for the trio to be seen in Cebu lending their names in support to the Asian Universities Basketball Championships, a tournament of the Pichay wing, which is currently ongoing at the Coliseum.
However, all three of them are also commissioners of the UAAP, which is closely affiliated with the Pangilinan faction of the BAP-SBP. Like Cesafi, the UAAP is also a stakeholder of the BAP-SBP.
Narvasa, who is the commissioner of the UAAP, steered clear from bringing the league into the picture. “We are here in our capacity as BCAP officials and our being UAAP officials are just incidental. UAAP has its own stand and its own representatives to the BAP-SBP and they are the ones who can speak for UAAP on that issue,”
Narvasa added.
Leagues
Gonzales said that the BCAP’s main concern is to develop coaches. “If we develop coaches, then we can develop good players,” he said. The BCAP’s membership is open to any coach from the barangay levels to the schools to the professional leagues.
The members will enjoy benefits such as free seminars that the organization holds regularly. The BCAP also sees to it that it protects the welfare of the coaches.
One of its biggest accomplishment is the inking of the regulation with the Department of Labor and Employment, that will be followed if a team wishes to get a foreign head coach.
“The requirements are stringent. They have to prove that they are better than the Filipino coaches, otherwise, they will not qualify to coach here. We are doing this so that the team owners will prioritize Filipino coaches first,” said Ogie. (MCB)
