FIBA gets tough on eligibility

MANILA, Philippines -  SBP executive director Sonny Barrios said the other day FIBA is determined to enforce its eligibility rule on players with dual citizenships because of rampant abuse of certain countries recruiting Africans to switch nationalities and the Philippines is suffering collateral damage with Fil-foreigners now required to submit passports before turning 16.

Barrios said he attended a FIBA meeting with former Asian Basketball Confederation secretary-general Moying Martelino in Geneva last year and was told of the “hard-and-fast” rule concerning dual citizens.

“The rule was semi-ignored in the past but now, it is strictly being enforced,” said Barrios. “This involves the eligibility of players with foreign blood. The rule is they must choose their citizenships before turning 16. Why 16 and why not 18? That issue isn’t up for debate. It used to be the laws of the land are considered in granting eligibility to dual citizens. But the rampant abuse of certain countries has prompted this FIBA action.

At the FIBA Asia Championships in Wuhan last year, Fil-Americans Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz were initially prevented from representing the Philippines because their passports were not issued before they turned 16. But since they played for the Philippines in the SEABA qualifiers, FIBA Asia officials relented and gave them the green light to play. The rule is not retroactive so that all players previously allowed to represent their country – even if their passports were not issued before they turned 16 – are eligible to play. However, the rule will require prospective Fil-Am national players Cliff Hodge, Chris Ellis, Chris Banchero and Stanley Pringle to submit Philippine passports before they turned 16.

“No problem with Lassiter and Lutz, they’re good to play,” said Barrios. “But the strict enforcement of the rule now makes it necessary for future Fil-foreigners to submit Philippine passports before they turned 16. The only document required is the passport. That is the basis for FIBA to determine if a player of foreign blood and born overseas is eligible or not.” Since Fil-Am player Matt Ganuelas Rosser was born in the Philippines, he is not covered by the requirement. Rosser is in coach Chot Reyes’ lineup for the FIBA Asia Cup in Tokyo starting tomorrow.

Sol Mercado was allowed to represent the country in the recent Jones Cup because the tournament wasn’t sanctioned by FIBA Asia. He has never played in a FIBA Asia competition. Mercado had to submit a Philippine passport issued before he turned 16 to become eligible for the FIBA Asia Cup. 

Under Philippine law, it is the right of an individual with Filipino blood to choose dual citizenship if born in a foreign country. This has allowed Fil-foreigners like Gabe Norwood, Asi Taulava and Sonny Thoss to play for the country in international tournaments. 

Barrios said the eligibility rule will not be discussed in the FIBA Asia Executive Committee meeting at the Grand Prince Hotel in Tokyo on Sept. 19. In the agenda is the issue of which country will host the FIBA Asia Championships in July next year.

The Executive Committee is composed of 12 members, including Southeast Asia sub-zone head Erick Thohir of Indonesia, and women’s representative Noviantika Nasution. No Filipino is in the ExCom where the leading officers are chairman Xin Lancheng of China, president Sheikh Saud Bin Ali Al-Thani of Qatar and secretary-general Hagop Khajirian of Lebanon.    

PBA commissioner Chito Salud will attend the Tokyo meeting. Barrios said Salud’s presence is critical. “FIBA Asia is aware of the PBA’s popularity and that the PBA plays almost all year round,” said Barrios. “It is crucial that FIBA Asia is assured of the PBA’s full support of the project. And in Tokyo, we won’t only guarantee the PBA’s backing but also the backing of our Department of Tourism, Department of the Interior and Local Government and the Philippine National Police.”   

For his part, Salud said, “I intend to impress upon the leaders in FIBA Asia that the PBA is one with the SBP in its quest to regain basketball supremacy in Asia … unequivocal is our support of SBP’s quest to host the FIBA Asia qualifying tournament in 2013 and we want to make sure we deliver that message.”

Since the SBP spent about P15 million to host the FIBA Asia Champions Cup last year, Barrios estimated double the budget for the FIBA Asia Championships. “There were 10 teams in the Champions Cup and there will be 16 for the FIBA Asia Championships,” he said. “Mr. MVP wants no stone unturned in making sure we do an excellent job in hosting next year. Every team, for instance, will be provided its own shuttle bus and a car for officials.” Manila hasn’t hosted the FIBA Asia, then known as the Asian Basketball Confederation, Championships since 1973.