PH withdraws basketball team from Asian Games
A FEW hours after formally announcing Rain or Shine’s participation in the Asian Games, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) had a change of heart on Thursday night and decided to skip the upcoming quadrennial meet in Jakarta, Indonesia in August.
SBP withdrew its basketball delegation after what transpired last July 2 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan when the Gilas Pilipinas and the Australian Boomers were involved in a brawl during the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Asian Qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup in China.
The FIBA disciplinary panel suspended and fined 10 players and two coaches on the side of Gilas Pilipinas and three players from Australia.
“We apologize to the Asian Games organizers, to the fans of the Philippine team, and to the Asian basketball community for this withdrawal,” acvording to a statement by the SBP.
“The SBP resolves to improve its systems, and to prepare programs that will better ensure respectable performances of our teams internationally, of which our countrymen can be truly proud.”
Although the suspension was only for the FIBA Asian qualifiers games, the SBP decided not to send its first choice, the TNT KaTropa team, composed of suspended national players Terrence Romeo, Troy Rosario, Jayson Castro and Roger Pogoy, to the Asian Games to be held from Aug. 18 to Sept. 2.
The Philippine Basketball Association and the SBP recommended the participation of the Rain or Shine team that would be coached by former mentor and now Northern Luzon Expressway coach Yeng Guiao, before deciding to withdraw from the Asian Games.
“However, to allow our National Team and our organization to regroup, prepare for the process of appealing the FIBA Disciplinary Panel’s recent Decision, and aim for sustainable success in future tournaments—including the upcoming FIBA World Cup Qualifiers and the 2023 FIBA Basketball World Cup—we have reached the conclusion that, with the foregoing considered and after consulting with the basketball community, the time and chance to participate in the 2018 Asian Games would not be optimal,” according also to the SBP statement.
SBP thanked Rain or Shine’s co-owners Terry Que, Raymund Yu, coaches Guiao and Caloy Garcia for expressing their willingness to help the national team’s programs.
The post PH withdraws basketball team from Asian Games appeared first on The Manila Times Online.