Aussies claim FIBA exception

MANILA, Philippines — Australia will parade two naturalized players in the Boomers’ 12-man cast facing Gilas in the third FIBA Asia/Pacific World Cup qualifying window at the Philippine Arena on Monday, claiming an exception to the rule of one import for each national team.

The two imports are Sudan-born Thon Maker, 21, and US-born Kevin Lisch, 32. Basketball Australia, the governing body for the sport in the country, explained that “Maker became naturalized as a teenager so under FIBA rules, he is allowed to play alongside an athlete (who) became naturalized as an adult such as Lisch.”

Under FIBA rules, “a national team participating in a competition of FIBA may have only one player on its team who has acquired the legal nationality of that country by naturalization or by any other means after having reached the age of 16 ... this provision applies also to any player having the right to acquire a second nationality at birth but who did not lay claim to this right until after having reached the age of 16.”

However, there is an exception to the limit: “Any player claiming to have acquired a legal nationality before having reached the age of 16, without presenting the respective passport with a date of issue before the player’s 16th birthday, requires a decision by the Secretary-General confirming that he does not fall under the restriction.”

The FIBA Secretary-General, in this case Patrick Baumann of Switzerland, will allow the exception taking into consideration these factors: “number of years during which the player has lived in the country for the national team of which he wishes to play, number of seasons during which the player has participated in domestic competitions in the country of the national team for which he wishes to play and any other criteria capable of establishing a significant link between the player and the country for the national team of which he wishes to play.”

SBP legal counsel and FIBA Legal Commission member Aga Francisco reaffirmed the FIBA rule limiting a national team to one naturalized player. “There are only a few exceptions, all under the discretion of the Secretary-General such as refugees,” he said.

In a related issue, the SBP has asked FIBA to allow the Philippines to enlist NBA player Jordan Clarkson, who is half-Filipino and US-born, as a local or an exception to the limit of one naturalized player. Because Clarkson has spent nearly his entire life in the US and not played in any Philippine league, FIBA did not allow the exception. The SBP has sent FIBA a video showing Clarkson with relatives in Pampanga to establish his Filipino roots. Another possible exception is Fil-German Christian Standhardinger. At the moment, Clarkson and Standhardinger may play for the Philippines only under the rule limiting a national team to one naturalized import because they were issued Philippine passports after turning 16.

Maker fled Sudan with a brother and an aunt to escape the civil war and went to Uganda before relocating to Australia when he was five years old. He was eventually given Australian citizenship as a refugee. Lisch holds Italian, American and Australian citizenships. He acquired his Australian citizenship five months before suiting up for the Boomers at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Lisch was born in Illinois and is married to an Australian.

The Boomers got together for training in Melbourne last week. They landed in Japan last Monday and will play the host team tonight. The team will leave for Manila tomorrow and play Gilas on Monday. For the third window, Australia will play two back-to-back road games. The Boomers hosted twice in the second window.