NU to justify Ray Parks’ status at UAAP meeting tomorrow

Photo by Jan Dizon

MANILA—Ray Parks is clinging to slim hopes of seeing action in Season 74 of the UAAP men’s basketball tournament with National University hoping to clear the case of the Filipino-American hotshot during the league board meeting tomorrow.

The son of seven-time PBA Best Import Bobby Parks, failed to get the UAAP eligibility committee’s go-signal to play this year. The same panel cleared Ateneo’s prized rookie Greg Slaughter.

But the final lineup will only be released by the UAAP board after tomorrow’s meeting, where NU officials are likely to present more documents to prove Parks’ eligibility.

Several schools are also reportedly ready to question Slaughter’s case in the same meeting.

The board has the final say in deciding the eligibility of players.

“He’s not like a kid who just popped up wanting to play basketball here—he paid his dues,” the elder Parks said of his 18-year-old son, who played for the country’s 3-on-3 team in last year’s Youth Olympics.

The league requires players who studied overseas to serve a two-year residency. An exception to the rule are “children of parents assigned abroad due to the nature of their jobs” and “children whose parents are OFWs and stationed abroad.”

Bobby said this is the rule applicable to his son’s case since Ray’s mother, Marifer Barbosa Parks, left to work in the United States in 2003 before he also left for “a better paying job in the US” in 2005.

“I brought him to the US because no one can take care of him here,” Bobby said in an interview with the Inquirer yesterday.

Bobby said Ray was born in Makati and only lived in the US for three years before the family returned here in 2010.

“I got the job offer to return to Manila to work for the SM group and National University to help with their sports programs and get a free education for my kids,” said the elder Parks.

Bobby said Ray finished Grade 7 at the International Christian Academy in Parañaque, then studied three years in Tennessee, but finished high school in Manila.

The past year, Ray also suited up for the Philippine Youth Team and led the squad to a ninth-place finish in the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore.

“Ray was happy to be part of the rebuilding process of the national team,” said Bobby. “Now, he is looking forward to play in the UAAP to show his skills.

“It would be good and exciting for the UAAP if Ray and Greg Slaughter are able to play this season.”