SBP brass to meet Dato Yeoh in Bangkok

A high-powered Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas (SBP) delegation leaves for Bangkok this morning to brief FIBA (Federation Internationale de Basketball)-Asia secretary-general Dato Yeoh Choo Hock of Malaysia on the country’s progress in complying with the terms of unification as prescribed in the Tokyo accord.

Philippine Long Distance Tel. Co. chairman Manny Pangilinan, Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) chairman Ricky Vargas, PBA commissioner Noli Eala, Pilipinas Basketball (PB) president JunJun Capistrano and lawyer Marievic Anonuevo are scheduled to meet Dato Yeoh at 5:30 this afternoon during a break in the Asian under-18 basketball tournament. The group will then dine with Dato Yeoh and FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann, who flew in from the governing body’s headquarters in Geneva, tonight. The delegation returns to Manila tomorrow.

"We will be inviting Mr. Baumann and Dato Yeoh to attend the unity congress but we are informed that the finals of the under-18 tournament will be held Monday night so they may not be able to attend," said Vargas. "If they can’t come, we hope they will designate a representative to observe the process.

"Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) executive director Christian Tan and lawyer Boni Alentajan reportedly left for Bangkok yesterday to meet with Dato Yeoh. But it is not likely Dato Yeoh will risk a face-to-face confrontation between the SBP and BAP officials.

Newly-elected BAP president Go Teng Kok stayed in Manila as his mother passed away yesterday.

"We’re going to Bangkok to update Dato Yeoh on what we’ve done in complying with the stipulations of the Tokyo agreement that was signed last August," said Vargas, referring to the accord that called for the creation of a unified body from a merger of the BAP and PB, the formation of a three-man panel to oversee the unification process, the staging of a national congress and the recognition of the unified body by the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Vargas said all is ready for the unity congress at the Dusit Nikko Hotel in Makati on Monday. Registration starts at 10 a.m. The program will begin with Anonuevo explaining the rationale of the congress at 11 a.m. after which a guest speaker, rumored to be former Sen. Robert Jaworski, will deliver the keynote address. Then the three-man panel composed of Pangilinan, Capistrano and Sen. Jinggoy Estrada will call the congress to order.

Pangilinan will update the audience on what has transpired since the signing of the Tokyo accord after which the interim 25-man Board of Trustees will elect the officers. After a lunch break, the new officers will be introduced then Pangilinan will present the SBP’s plans and programs. At least 300 delegates from about 100 leagues and associations are expected to attend the congress.

Vargas said 60 to 70 percent of the leagues and associations in the BAP and PB lists submitted to FIBA will be represented. Several legitimate grassroots basketball groups, not in the initial lists, will also attend to give the congress a comprehensive and nationwide coverage.

Some of the leagues and associations in the BAP list no longer exist or are unreachable, which is why there will be less than a 100 percent attendance from the original rosters.