IT looks like it will be a very busy year for Harbour Centre as far as international competitions are concerned.

In a letter to Harbour Centre team owner Dr. Mikee Romero yesterday, Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP) executive director Patrick Gregorio has asked the four-time Philippine Basketball League (PBL) champion team to represent the country anew in two more major international competitions this year.

This after the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) has turned the request of the BAP-SBP to field Philippine Cup champion Sta. Lucia Realty in the coming Fiba-Asia Championship Cup set from May 18 to 26 in Kuwait.

But the BAP-SBP is expected to get a reply from Romero only this weekend because the Harbour Centre team owner is out of the country, according to team manager Erick Arejola.

Harbour Centre will be flying to Jakarta, Indonesia, on April 2 to defend the crown in the Southeast Asia Basketball Association Champions Cup.

Former PBA chairman Ricky Vargas has informed BAP-SBP that the Realtors would not be able to compete in the Fiba Champions Cup because of a conflict of schedule because the coming Fiesta Conference will run through that tournament.

“As discussed with BAP-SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan, we are inviting PBL champion team Harbour Centre to once again represent the Philippines in the Fiba-Asia Champions Cup,” Gregorio stated in the letter.

“We hope that PBL commissioner Chino Trinidad and executive director Butch Maniego will support this request just like in the past,” he added.

The country finished fourth in the last Fiba Champions Cup under coach Chot Reyes, but the team did not field in imports.

Besides the Fiba Champions Cup, the BAP-SBP is also inquiring if Harbour Centre is interested in forming a team for the annual William R. Jones Cup set from July 10 to 18 in Taiwan.

According to Gregorio, the PBA, through executive director Rickie Santos, is willing to lend players but only from teams which are eliminated during the course of the PBA’s conference that coincides with the Jones Cup.

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