KUALA LUMPUR (Mageshwaran's AsiaScope) - The Japanese are masters in pursuit of perfection. The inventions, innovations and ingenious fabrication of innumerable products right through recent history of mankind has often left us all in awe of the people from this Land of Rising Sun!

Is this trait the major issue that stops Japan basketball from finding a solution to the current crisis? Is the quest for perfection acting as a stumbling block from achieving a situation that can be compatible to all concerned? I wonder.

Among the three points that have led to FIBA suspending JBA, the issue concerning the merger of the two conflicting leagues seems the clincher.

Now, let me get this straight.

That the bj-League plays outside the control of JBA means there is very little credibility for the League itself. No League is worth the trouble if it does not have the approval, or at least the supervision, of the National federation.

But…

That there is a league that is not controlled by the JBA means the National federation lacks control. It is imperative that the National federation is the sole authority of all basketball activities in the country, including even at the schools level. The onus on ensuring such compliance lies with the National federation itself.

Unfortunately, but importantly, both these situations – lack of credibility on the one side and control on another – are what we call "perfect recipes for disaster" in the world of sport.

The FIBA suspension is an attempt at helping to stay away from disaster. FIBA's statement while announcing the suspension is unambiguously and positively clear on this.

Japan, and JBA, have been – and in my firm opinion will continue to be – integral part of any and every development program in the basketball world. The suspension, I do believe is only a shock treatment for all the stakeholders in Japan basketball to get their act together. So that they can work together – in case of JBA and bj-League, in the literal sense as well.

For this to happen, both sides have to travel half way from their current position. Now, this mid-point may not be the perfect solution, but it is yet a meeting point. I do believe that this meeting point has been rejected so far, in pursuit of a utopian perfect solution to the situation.

Like I said earlier, neither JBA nor the bj-League wins anything by being separate. On the other hand it has only proven detrimental leading to an apologetic situation for the top man in Japan basketball. The apology in itself is an acceptance of the prevalent situation of incorrectness, but luckily is also a sign of hope. 

Perseverance, along with pursuit of perfection, is another trait that you can singularly associate with the Japanese. Given that, it is not a matter of IF but should only be WHEN all the stake holders sit on the same table and talk in the same language.

If Hiroshima and Nagasaki can be turned into, among other things, wonderful sporting venues from the unspeakable nightmare they suffered, nothing is impossible in Japan, and for the Japanese! 

So long… 

S Mageshwaran

FIBA Asia

FIBA's columnists write on a wide range of topics relating to basketball that are of interest to them. The opinions they express are their own and in no way reflect those of FIBA.

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