PBA firm on stand not to send team to Asian Games

The Philippine Basketball Association is firm on its stand not to send a team to the coming Doha Asian Games despite informal pleas from the Philippine Sports Commission and the Philippine Olympic Committee for the pro league to reconsider its decision.

"It’s important that people should understand that the PBA has to be successful and stable to be able to fully support the national team. To disrupt our plans now would be counter-productive," said PBA commissioner Noli Eala.

"The PBA has proudly worn the country’s flag in a number of international competitions even in difficult moments. The PBA has taken the cudgels and has been a key member in forging the unification effort with the BAP and Pilipinas Basketball. But we’ve made our position very clear from the very beginning," Eala added.

"It’s going to be a board decision. But the chance (of the PBA allowing its players to play in Qatar) is very remote with the fact that the All-Filipino tourney is about to start," said PBA board chair Ricky Vargas.

"In the first place, tsismis pa lang lahat ito because the POC or the PSC has no formal communication with us. So pagusapan man ng board, informal lang siguro," Vargas added.

The PBA board of governors has a scheduled meeting Wednesday.

The PSC and POC have said they would still push for the pro league’s representation in the basketball competitions in the Asiad despite the PBA’s earlier pronouncement that participation in the quadrennial games is no longer in its calendar of activities.

PSC chairman Butch Ramirez, the chef de mission of the RP Asiad delegation, returned from an organizational trip in Doha Friday and announced that "85,000 Filipinos in Qatar" are keenly awaiting the arrival of the basketball team.

Earlier, POC president Jose Cojuangco said in his weekly radio program that the Philippines should send the best team in the Asian Games or none at all.

But PBA officials just wouldn’t bend backward.

"I don’t think the PBA has ever lacked entertainment and support to our many OFWs (overseas Filipino workers) who love basketball. In fact, we’ve just competed in a tournament in Qatar precisely for Pinoys living there," said Eala.

In a Memorandum of Agreement with the Basketball of Association of the Philippines two years ago, the PBA committed support for the national team in the FIBA-Asia championship and, if it qualified, in the World Championship and the Olympics, leaving the other tournaments for amateur players.

It reformatted its calendar so as not to have conflict with the FIBA programs.

National coach Chot Reyes’ own personal opinion on the coming Doha Asian Games is to bring the best team or not send a team at all now that he’s tasked to formulate a new program for the national team with the impending unification of Philippine basketball.

Reyes stressed though that he’s willing to help in whatever manner if asked by the new body and allowed by the San Miguel Corp. management.

Reyes was asked by the PBA commissioner to make a "post-Asian Games plan" for the national team upon the latter’s return from the Tokyo, Japan meeting of the country’s cage leaders.