Thursday, July 17, 2008 Pangilinan begs off from set meeting
THE anticipation for a national gathering of the basketball top honchos of the Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) died down when it announced yesterday that the meeting has been cancelled, much to the chagrin of local basketball heads, who were looking forward to it.
Stakeholders, board members and regional heads of the BAP-SBP under the Manny Pangilinan leadership was supposed to meet this Friday here in the city for a once-in-a-lifetime chance of holding the elusive meeting outside Manila.
“There is conflict in scheduling that is why we have to move the meeting to another date,” said BAP-SBP executive director Noli Eala. Eala, who is the creator of Liga Pilipinas, will be in town as the Liga shifts venue here in Cebu.
Reset
Eala said that they will have to reschedule the meeting. It is likely that it will no longer be held here in Cebu.
Lawyer Baldomero Estenzo, who represents the Cebu Schools Athletic Foundation Inc. (Cesafi), was told that the schedule conflict involved that of BAP-SBP president Manny Pangilinan.
The basketball patron and communication mogul had to attend to business-related issues on that day, which forced the meeting to be cancelled. “He really wants to attend this meeting,” Estenzo said.
“The meeting is supposedly for planning of programs and strategies. We were also supposed to identify the group’s vision
and mission,” Estenzo added.
Disappointed
Cesafi commissioner Felix Tiukinhoy said that he was disappointed because he wants the group to finally come up with plans and programs for basketball.
BAP-SBP had received several attacks from BAP head Prospero Pichay, the other faction of BAP-SBP for allegedly not having real programs for basketball.
In a press conference here in Cebu, when asked if he is not worried that his projects will be in conflict with that of
Pangilinan’s group, Pichay said that he isn’t “since Pangilinan does not have programs at all.”
As of the moment, Pangilinan’s and Pichay’s groups are fighting a legal battle as to which BAP-SBP faction legally holds the mandate to be the country’s governing body. (MCB)
