BAP plots move after Seoul gab — Lina

The Basketball Association of the Philippines has deferred its earlier plan to bring its case to the Court of Arbitration for Sports, saying it will only do so after Pilipinas Basketball officials meet with FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann next week in Korea.

"Everything is ready, but we have decided to wait for their meeting," said Joey Lina, the BAP president who earlier bared plans of seeking redress from the CAS. "It’s an organizational move, we don’t want to speculate, we’ll just think about it later and refer the case with the outcome of the meeting."

Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose "Peping" Cojuangco Jr. and officials of stakeholders PBA, PBL, UAAP and NCAA are scheduled to meet with Baumann on April 4 where they are expected to brief the Fiba official regarding the formation of PB and the other matters on their recent MoU (Memorandum of Understanding).

Lina said they’ve already tapped a lawyer to handle the case if they pushed through with their original plan. He didn’t elaborate.

Pilipinas Basketball, formed recently to replace BAP, has already informed the sport’s world governing body of its formation. The group is hoping that the meeting with Baumann, who will attend the 15th Association of National Olympic Committee (ANOC) in Seoul, will produce positive result.

Lina earlier announced they would seek help from CAS in a last-ditch effort to have the discredited cage association reinstated as member of the POC.

"After exhausting practically all avenues, we still have not succeeded. We will be forced to seek temporary relief from the CAS," said Lina last March 20. — Joey Villar