The Philippines will get to defend the SEA Games gold medal in basketball after all 11 members of the SEAG Federation yesterday gave the go signal for the sport to be played in host country Laos next year.
Go Teng Kok, the RP athletics chief who represented the Philippines in the four-day federation meeting that ended yesterday, said the event that was almost scratched due to venue problems will be played after all.
He called from Laos and said after a desperate search, organizers found a venue that could hold the games, and even representatives of the International Basketball Federation or FIBA have given their nod.
“It’s not the best basketball court there is but with a little improvement it will do,” said Go who said he spent the whole day trying to convince the other member countries to keep the sport for next year’s Games.
“This is certainly good news not only for the Philippines but to all SEAG countries as well. We all know basketball is among the popular spectator sports in any Games,” said Go.
He said even the Philippine Ambassador to Laos, Elizabeth Buensuceso, was involved in the negotiations, being a friend of the chairman of the Laos SEA Games Organizing Committee.
Since 1977, the Philippines has failed to win the basketball gold only once when it lost to Malaysia in the 1989 finals. The sport was not played in the 2005 Manila SEAG because the Philippines was under FIBA suspension.
Go said Laos organizers are now asking for the financial support to stage the basketball competitions, and the RP official said the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas can provide the answer.
“I suppose Mr. Manny V. Pangilinan (SBP president) will be happy to help. But even Bangkok (Thailand) officials have offered to help. Laos just wants everything to be put into writing,” said Go.
Basketball was almost scratched from next year’s SEA Games because of the absence of an adequate venue. Organizers said the other day a new hardcourt to be brought in was the only solution.
But sports officials from the Philippines and Thailand found it impractical to bring in a new hardcourt considering the cost of shipment and installation, and instead offered hosting the event outside of Laos.
Finding a venue in Laos, one that is good enough, solved all the problems.
“That’s the nice thing about the relationship among SEA Games countries. They (other countries) support us in the same manner that we support them when they lobby for some events where we don’t have strong chances of winning,” said POC president Jose Cojuangco.
“Operational cost is the only concern now. I think we, including the other countries, can work together on this,” said POC spokesman Jose Romasanta who commended Go for a job well done.