BAP to coaches: Don’t take sides

Instead of taking sides in the ongoing rift involving their leaders, Basketball Association of the Philippines president Freddie Jalasco told the coaches of the national basketball men and women teams to concentrate on their training for future international competitions.

"They shouldn’t take sides with regards to the BAP leadership issue because their commitment should only be to the flag and country and not to any person or group," said Jalasco yesterday.

Jalasco was reacting to reports that men’s coach David Zamar and women’s mentor Arturo "Bay" Cristobal are recognizing only the leadership of Quintillano "Tiny" Literal as legitimate head of the BAP instead of him.

This prompted Jalasco to arrange a meeting with Zamar and Cristobal in a move viewed as a loyalty check which is aimed at ridding the association of dissenting voices.

"Of course, I have to talk with these people first and ask them their beliefs before I arrive at a conclusion which might be untrue," said Jalasco, who is recognized by the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Jalasco added that he is thinking of firing Zamar and Cristobal as coaches and replacing them with those "whose focus is basketball alone."

"But we will still give them due process like what I did to Graham (Lim) whom I’ve talked to before I accepted his resignation," said Jalasco.

The national men’s squad is composed mainly of MBA players who include Rommel Adducul of Manila, John Ferriols of Negros and Christian Calaguio of San Juan.

He is also not discounting the possibility of putting up an alternative team which will either come from the MBA or the Philippine Basketball League. — Joey Villar