Saturday, August 30, 2008 PBA limits 34th season to two conferences
MANILA - The Philippine Basketball Association will limit the 34th season to only two conferences to pave way for the formation of the RP national team, which will see action in the 2009 FIBA-Asia Championship in Guangzhou, China.
PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios stressed the importance of the FIBA-Asia tourney on September 2009 because it will select the qualifier for the World Championship in 2010.
Thus, the next season will only feature the usual Philippine Cup and the Fiesta Conference, which will end in June to give at least a two-month preparation for the national quintet, according to Barrios.
“As per our agreement with the SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas), it will be the coach that will be tasked with selecting the players who will compose the team,” said Barrios during yesterday’s SCOOP weekly session at the Kamayan Restaurant in Padre Faura.
He said the PBA board gave him a free hand to select the head coach of the RP team, which could only finished at a dismal ninth place in Tokushima, Japan in 2007.
“The appointed coach may form a national training pool as many players he wants and name the team membership,” added Barrios in the forum.
“Unless coach Ron (Jacobs) gets well soon, no non-PBA coach will qualify,” he said .
A foreign coach might be hired as consultant depending to the wishes of the Samahang Basketbolista ng Pilipinas headed by communications mogul Manny V. Pangilinan.
“With regards to consultant, I believe this can be resorted only through a long-term program,” he pointed out.
Meanwhile, Barrios announced that the 2008 Philippine Cup will have a non-traditional weekend one-game opening on Oct. 4 at the Araneta Coliseum.
And on the next day, a Sunday, the All-Filipino tourney goes full-blast with a doubleheader at the Cuneta Astrodome.
Only the Philippine Cup will be staged following the old format of a two-round elimination, but the import-laced Fiesta Cup will be shorter with only a single round robin elimination.
The 2008 Rookie Draft is all set this Sunday at the Fort’s Market! Market! in Taguig City. (FCC)
