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THE
International Basketball Federation, or Fiba, should be
deciding on the Basketball Association of the
Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) as
its affiliate in the country any day now.
With
Fiba’s nod—and the lifting of the suspension on RP from
competing internationally—imminent, the BAP-SBP’s 25-man
board of trustees will map out the group’s future in a
planning session on March 2 and 3 at the Tagaytay
Highlands International Golf Club.
“We
should expect news from Fiba anytime, and we’re hopeful
to get it within the week,” Ricky Vargas, the Samahan’s
vice chairman and Philippine Basketball Association
board chairman, told BusinessMirror yesterday in a phone
interview.
Vargas
said the fledgling basketball group informed Fiba on
Friday night that it had gained conditional membership
with the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC), which the
world governing body said was the last requirement
before it lifts its indefinite ban on the country that
began in July 2005.
That was
after the POC held a special general assembly earlier
Friday to vote on accepting the BAP-SBP as the newest
member of the local Olympic family of national sports
associations (NSAs).
Vargas
said the BAP-SBP would wait until today before following
up on its application with the world body.
“But I
see no problems about it, judging by the statements Mr.
Patrick Baumann [Fiba’s secretary-general] made when he
was here in Manila,” the PBA chairman said.
Baumann
was in Manila February 5 to witness the unity congress
that formally brought together the old BAP with the
Pilipinas Basketball group to form the Samahan. He then
said lifting the suspension on RP was just “a matter of
formality” where Fiba would receive the POC’s letter of
accreditation and send it back.
The
world body’s approval would mark the end of local
efforts to unite the sport’s stakeholders under a
unified group—the Samahan—to replace the 70-year-old BAP
as Fiba member.
It also
allows Filipino teams to compete again in overseas
events such as the coming Southeast Asian Basketball
Association (Seaba) championship and the Fiba-Asia
tournament, a qualifying event for next year’s Olympics
in Beijing.
Meanwhile, Vargas said the BAP-SBP’s planning session
would help foster unity among the board of trustees,
which comprises 12 nominees each from the old BAP and
Pilipinas Basketball plus telecom tycoon Manuel
Pangilinan.
Pangilinan, the Samahan’s president, was head of the
Fiba-sanctioned three-man panel that brought the two
groups together. He called for the conference at the
plush golf course in
Cavite’s highlands to dispel the reported fragile truce between the
officials of the former rival caging bodies, according
to Vargas.
“We will
be staying overnight there, so it should help hasten the
healing process,” said the PBA chairman, Pangilinan’s
lieutenant at telecom giant PLDT. “We will be getting
down to work and putting our programs together.”
Besides
Pangilinan, the BAP-SBP’s board members are Raul “Yayoy”
Alcoseba, Atty. Boni Alentajan, Pedro Alfaro, Rey Baula,
Elmer Cabahug, Fr. Paul de Vera, Tony Fabico, Graham
Lim, Danny Soria and Joey Lina, representing the
geographic sector; Ely Capacio, Tony Chua, Noli Eala and
Vargas (professional); Bernie Atienza, Jose Capistrano,
Fritz Gaston, Christian Tan and Wilson Young (school);
Lito Alvarez, Michel Lhuillier and Chino Trinidad
(commercial); Tisha Abundo (special) and Nic Jorge
(youth). |
