Philippines - Basketball crisis ends

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The long wait is over – well, almost. The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) yesterday said it was ready to lift its suspension on the Philippines and will do so following some procedures which local sports officials will have to undertake to formally end the country’s banishment from international competition.

"It’s a matter of formality," said FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann when asked if the FIBA has lifted the suspension of the Philippines. "No, it’s not yet lifted. This is dependent on the internal process of the Philippines."

Baumann said it’s in the hands of the Philippine sports leaders as to when the suspension is going to be lifted and the new governing body for the sport, which will soon be called Basketball Association of the Philippines-Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (BAP-SBP), will have to get the nod of the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) first before applying for recognition.

"It’s just a matter of receiving a letter and of sending one back," said Baumann.

The timetable, according to Baumann, is "just a matter of time" and POC First Vice-President Monico Puentevella, who served as POC President Jose ‘Peping’ Cojuangco Jr.’s official representative to the congress, assured the FIBA and SBP that he is going to speed up things.

"As soon as we get the letter of the SBP, we will immediately act on it," said Puentevella. "This is going to be fast and we (POC) would call a meeting."

Business tycoon Manny V. Pangilinan retained his post as president, while Camarines Sur Rep. Luis Villafuerte Jr. was named chairman with Ricky Vargas of Talk 'N Text in the PBA as vice chair. Christian Tan, formerly BAP vice president, is the treasurer, while the corporate secretary is Pangilinan’s legal counsel Marievic Anonuevo and Boni Alentajan will serve as legal counsel.

Former BAP President, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, was appointed Special Advisor to the Board, according to Pangilinan.

The position of executive director remains vacant and a search committee will be formed, according to Pangilinan, who floated the possibility of getting somebody from foreign shores to serve on an interim basis.

Pangilinan also released the names that will form the Board of Trustees and some of the names were culled from the old BAP organization. Representing the geographic sector are Raul Alcoseba, Alentajan, Pedro Alfaro, Rey Baula, Elmer Cabahug, Father Paul de Vera, Tony Pabico, Graham Lim, former Sen. Joey Lina and Danny Soria.

Those from the professional sector are Ely Capacio, Tony Chua, Noli Eala and Ricky Vargas and from the school sector are Bernie Atienza, Jose Capistrano Jr., Fritz Gaston, Christian Tan and Wilson Young.

Comprising the commercial sector are Lito Alvarez, Michel Lhuillier and Chino Trinidad and Tisha Abundo from the women’s and Nic Jorge of the youth sector.

Forty-three out of 85 members of the BAP attended the congress, while the entire SBP family was in attendance.

And while the mood was upbeat all throughout, Pangilinan also took the opportunity to reveal some of the SBP’s plans in the coming months with the participation in the SEABA championships in Kuala Lumpur, the FIBA-Asia in Japan and the Beijing Olympic qualifiers and the Olympics itself being given ample attention.

"It might be useful to send the best to show that the Philippines has a strong basketball team," said Pangilinan, noting that this was also the consensus of the other officials.

Pangilinan said "KL is reluctant to host the SEABA championships" and there is a strong chance that the Philippines will stage the cagefest that will serve as the qualifying for the FIBA-Asia that in turn is the qualifying for the 2008 Olympics.

If the Philippines fails to make it via the FIBA/Asia, Pangilinan said he might consider bidding to host the Beijing qualifier in July, where teams from the Americas, Europe and South America are taking part.

FIBA placed the country under suspension more than two years ago after the POC suspended and then expelled the 70-year-old BAP over leadership issues. FIBA said then that the punishment was excessive.

Three senators, present and past, three PBA commissioner’s, current and former, congressmen, coaches, team officials, regional athletic officers, school administrators, members of the national training pool and two collegiate teams, the Ateneo Blue Eagles and San Beda Red Lions, were among those who witnessed the completion of a long-running and expensive process to repair a severely-damaged local basketball program.

Among the dignitaries who attended were Frank Elizalde, International Olympic Committee representative to the Philippines, former senators Robert Jaworski, who recalled the golden days of Philippine basketball, and Freddie Webb, and former PBA commissioners Rey Marquez and Jun Bernardino.

Go Teng Kok, newly-elected BAP president, joined the presidential table, along with Alentajan, applauding roundly speeches made by Pangilinan, Baumann and Jaworski.

Photographers had a hectic day, mobbing the presidential table thrice for three different pow-wow photos - one prior to the arrival of Estrada, the second with the senator and former BAP head in it, and third with Baumann.

Members of the board were called to the stage to stand behind the BAP-SBP officers, among them, BAP’s Christian Tan and Wilson Young.

Lim, the BAP secretary-general, didn’t join the rest of the board onstage, choosing to stay at the back of the ballroom, but was present during a press conference held later at the Dahlia room.

"We hope that with this we were able to show our genuine and sincere desire for unity in Philippine basketball," said Tan, who briefly served as BAP acting president after Estrada’s sudden ouster.

Vargas outlined three areas of concern for BAP-SBP.

"After unity, we need healing," he said. "Then we have to reach out to the provincial leagues. And third, we must immediately field a national team that can win an international tournament to hasten unity."