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THE
International Basketball Federation (Fiba) has made a
stand. The basketball stakeholders have done as well.
Now the ball is on the Philippine Olympic Committee’s (POC)
court in the aftermath of the celebrated unity congress
held Monday in
Makati
City.
Patrick Baumann, the Fiba secretary-general, vowed in
the same assembly to lift the suspension the Fiba
slapped on the country some 18 months ago, an assurance
that sounded more real as he voiced it in the flesh and
on a microphone and against the backdrop of a united
force of basketball stakeholders famished for
international play.
Flying in directly from
Bangkok,
Baumann’s visit boosted morale that the most powerful
man in world basketball would give a green light for the
Filipinos to trot the globe and play world-caliber hoops
for the first time in two years.
Then
Baumann expressed a caveat, a seemingly minor one
judging from the positive vibe that came out of the
congress that felt like the Holidays in February more
than Christmas Day itself.
“We
will act to lift the suspension as soon as the
Philippine Olympic Committee will accredit the new
federation,” Baumann said. “As soon as that’s done, the
suspension will be automatically lifted.”
Baumann’s words were drowned with applause and cheers.
They were also met by a wee bit uneasiness, especially
since the ball is going back the POC’s way, the same
group that voted to ban the Basketball Association of
the Philippines (BAP)—half of the newly formed group now
called BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas—in 2004.
But
Monico Puentevella, the Bacolod representative who is
also second vice president of the POC who needless to
say is part of the group’s hierarchy, assured the POC
would lend the final touches without resistance.
“My
presence here is the reflection of the POC’s interest
[to lift Fiba’s suspension],” Puentevella said. “I just
talked to [POC president] Mr. [Jose] Cojuangco and we
will meet the next few days. As soon as I get the letter
from Mr. [Manuel V.] Pangilinan requesting to accredit
the new group, [the POC] will act accordingly.”
“Mr.
Baumann knows our sentiment. He knows the issues
surrounding the situation of basketball in the
Philippines.
[The POC] will act fast when our turn comes,”
Puentevella continued.
While
the POC accreditation serves as the final step to the
country’s return to global play, the unity congress
which finally brought together the BAP and Pilipinas
Basketbol as one supergroup was an episode that many
thought would not end—the two organizations engaged in a
virtual cold war that has made the struggle to appease
Fiba a protracted one.
And
that made the atmosphere at the Dusit Hotel in Makati
City almost surreal.
Just
a few days ago, rumors circulated that the BAP were
seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the unity
congress. It was during the same time that the
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) disregarded the
memorandum of agreement it signed with the BAP in 2004.
On
Monday, not a speck of hostility could be traced in a
unity congress that looked, sounded and felt every inch
that way.
The
list of BAP-SBP officials alone were an eclectic mix
that viably represented both groups. Camarines Norte
Rep. Luis Villafuerte [BAP] was voted chairman, Ricky
Vargas [PB] vice chairman, Marievie Annonuevo [PB]
secretary, Christian Tan [BAP] treasurer, Boni Alentajan
[BAP] legal counsel and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada
[unattached, although erstwhile BAP] as special adviser
to the board of directors with Pangilinan [SBP chairman]
as the merger’s president.
Only
the position of executive director was left vacant.
“We’ve always wanted to be unified, right from Day One,”
Alentajan said. “It’s just that Pilipinas Basketbol and
BAP were taking different paths. But essentially our
goals were the same, and that bound us together.”
“If
you look at the tables around here, the same people are
here. I think that’s very important, that the same
people now feel they are one,” Baumann said. “They
forgot the shirts they were wearing yesterday or just a
few hours ago.”
“This
is one team, basketball is about team,” he said. “If you
don’t play together, it’s not going to work. This isn’t
about playing against each other, it’s playing together.
And that’s the lesson we learn here.”
“It’s
very gratifying, all the work we’ve done,” said PBA
commissioner Noli Eala. “I’m glad we got this day. Of
course, there’s a lot of work ahead of us, pero one step
at a time. It’s enough that we’ve accomplished this part
of the work.”
The
process of lifting the suspension, which took all of
more than 18 months to accomplish, accelerated during
the weekend.
Pilipinas Basketbol led by its president Jose Capistrano
Jr. and PB legal counsel Añonuevo, Eala and Vargas and
Pangilinan all flew to Bangkok and set up a 5 p.m.
meeting Saturday with Baumann and Fiba-Asia officials.
Baumann joined Fiba-Asia head Sheek Saud and
secretary-general Dato Yeoh Cho Hock in a Fiba-backed
under-18 tournament in Thailand. Earlier in the week,
BAP leaders led by its executive vice president Tan and
its legal counsel Alentajan planed in to attend the
tournament.
Pangilinan and PB took the opportunity to meet Baumann
in Bangkok to show to Fiba a progress report in
conjunction with the unity congress that was going to be
set.
Baumann informed Pangilinan of BAP’s presence and
proposed the two groups meet.
Both
obliged and a 12-hour marathon meeting was set that
reached Sunday morning.
According to Eala and later confirmed by Capistrano, the
BAP only had “minor concerns” they wanted to iron out.
Capistrano did not elaborate though. -- With Aileen
Garbin Gabutina |
