MVP makes key assist to clear 2 Fil-Ams

WUHAN – Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan had to personally fight for Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz and urge FIBA Asia deputy secretary general Hagop Khajirian to let the two embattled Fil-Ams play against Jordan yesterday.

In a text to The STAR, Pangilinan said there was a last-minute drama that took place before the Phl-Jordan game as the Fiba official continued to bar Lassiter and Lutz from playing.

“Hagop did not allow our two players to play before the game. I had to call FIBA Geneva to intervene and I had to barge into his office to get him (Hagop) to let go,” said Pangilinan.

“Fiba HQ had a letter of authorization, which I had to remind him. Politics, that’s even here.”

“They can lodge their protest up to Mecca. We have a letter from (Patrick) Baumann specifically authorizing Lassiter and Lutz to play. Even Hagop has a copy,” he added.

“We are all happy, especially SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan, that Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz were able to play starting in the second round. The national team will play now at full strength,” said SBP executive director Sonny Barrios in a statement.

“We appreciate FIBA (officials) Baumann and Benjamin Cohen for their prompt decision, made and forwarded to us even on a Sunday at their end,” Barrios added.

Meanwhile, FIBA Asia secretary general Dato Yeoh Choo Hock scored the Qataris on how they conducted themselves after five of their players were ruled ineligible.

“Fiba Asia expresses its deepest regrets on these unforeseen and irresponsible acts of Team Qatar, which has caused a minor aberration on the shine of the championship,” said Yeoh.

“Such an errant and reckless attitude of the Qatar national team has no place in our sport,” Yeoh added.

The Qataris drew the ire of the Chinese basketball fans as they made a mockery of the game versus Uzbekistan and Iran, giving away fouls as early as they could. They only played serious game versus Chinese Taipei Sunday then opted to skip the classification round.

Yeoh issued apologies on behalf of Fiba Asia.

“Our heartfelt apologies to the CBA (Chinese Basketball Association) and the Wuhan LOC, where a lot of people have worked very hard for long hours to put this event together and to ensure its success,” he said.