INQUIRER Sports

ASIA’S BEST CAGERS may just suit up as imports in the season-ending Fiesta Cup conference of the Philippine Basketball Association.

The PBA Board of Governors unanimously agreed in a meeting Thursday to dump Americans in favor of Asian reinforcements in the import-laced conference next year.

“We want to try something new,” said Lito Alvarez, Burger King’s team manager and this season’s PBA chair.

“We’ve always had American imports. Who knows, this concept may be received well and supported by the viewing public.”

Lebanon’s Fadi El-Khatib, China’s Wang Lei, Korea’s Lee Kyu Sup and Iran’s Mohammad Samad Nikkhah lead the list of candidates the PBA aims to lure in the Fiesta Conference tentatively set on March 21, 2010.

“The board gave us one month to study if the proposal is feasible or not,” said league commissioner Sonny Barrios.

Barrios said a height limit of 6-foot-8 has been set and only players from Fiba Asia countries will be recruited. Naturalized players, though, won’t be allowed to suit up.

“We’re preparing this early because we also want to coordinate with the other Asian leagues,” Alvarez said after the regular board meeting held at the PBA office in Libis, Quezon City

“We have to admit, we’re not yet familiar with the tournament schedule of the other leagues in Asia. So if it turns out that most of them are not available, we have a plan B.”