PBA TO HAVE SAY IN NATIONAL TEAM SELECTION
The Philippine Basketball Association and the PBA Developmental League have been tapped by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to join the national cage federation in a screening committee that will make nominations for the next coach of the elite men’s national team.
In a meeting at the Cojuangco Building in Makati Wednesday, the SBP board also formed a separate search committee that will make a short list of candidates for the head coach of the cadet men’s team.
Making this group are representatives from the UAAP, the NCAA, NAASCU, CESAFI and the SBP.
Basically, SBP is starting from scratch with regards its national team program with Gilas Pilipinas II done with its mandate to bring the country back in the world basketball map.
Along the way to the 2014 FIBA World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas II, made up of PBA stars and naturalized reinforcement Marcus Douthit, ruled the 2012 Jones Cup and made the semis of the last two editions of the FIBA Asia Cup.
But in taking a “participative and consultative approach,” SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan is tapping other Philippine basketball stakeholders in the initial selection process for future national teams.
The PBA and the PBA D-League will have a hand in the program for the national team tasked to compete in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship in Wuhan, China which is the regional qualifier for the 2016 Olympics.
A separate team is to be formed to vie in the SEABA championship and in the 28th Southeast Asian Games in Singapore in June.
The committees will “short list” candidates for submission to the SBP Executive Committee made up of the SBP chairman, president, vice chairman, vice president and executive director “for ultimate final approval of the SBP Board of Trustees.”
During Wednesday’s meeting, the SBP board was also briefed by Pangilinan on the country’s initial bid to host the 2019 FIBA World Cup, with FIBA coming up with a list of candidates by the end of next month.
Thoroughly discussed as well was SBP’s expanded grassroots development program, with Pangilinan outlining his plan to “undertake an all encompassing overall nationwide program” for the next two years.
The SBP head urged regional SBP leaders to take a more active role in “crafting the program for implementation in their own backyards.”
The novel 3×3 format which FIBA is actively pushing via the multi-leg Masters Tour as a means to spread the gospel of the game will also get a major boost across the country, especially in the towns and municipalities. (SB)
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