SEAGFC agrees to shelve basketball

Members of the Southeast Asian Games Federation Council yesterday supported the move of the Philippines in excluding the men’s and women’s basketball event from the 23rd Southeast Asian Games putting an end to the controversy that has hounded the host country with barely two weeks to go before the biennial meet.

In a meeting in Bangkok, Thailand attended by nine of the 11-member countries, the SEAGFC unanimously passed the motion of Singapore’s Chris Chan and seconded by Malaysia’s S. Jahendran after deliberating on existing rules that prevent host Philippines from staging the event.

SEAGFC and Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose Cojuangco presided over the meeting at around 11 a.m. while POC chairman Robert Aventajado discussed the relevant rules and the chronology of events that led to the suspension of the country by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA).

Also present was Frank Elizalde, the Philippines permanent representative to International Olympic Committee (IOC).

Aventajado pointed to Section 42 of the SEAGFC Statutes and Rules, which stipulates that the national federation of the host country should appoint the judges, referees and other officials in all the disciplines included in the Games.

At present, there is no basketball federation in the Philippines duly recognized by the POC.

Cojuangco cited the poor performances of the RP teams in international events as the basis of POC’s uncompromising stand on the issue of reinstating the expelled Basketball Association of the Philippines.

"The Council made a solid stand not because of threats of sanction from the international federation of basketball but because a specific rule of the SEAGFC prevents the Philippines from staging basketball," said Cojuangco after the session.

Malaysia supported the Philippines at the pain of losing a substantial sponsorship from oil firm giant Petronas while Vietnam cited that FIBA, the international federation of basketball, had sent the wrong signals to SEA Games countries when it made a veiled threat in a letter to the POC on Nov. 1.

"For its part, Thailand expressed disappointment because it had prepared its teams early but backed the Philippine stand just the same because the decision is constructive for the Council since it adheres to the existing rules," added Aventajado.

With the SEAGFC decision, the 23rd SEAG will now be reduced to 439 events spread over 40 sports.

Absent during the meeting were delegates from Brunei and Timor Leste.