INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) vice chair Ricky Vargas expressed confidence that the SBP will not be suspended by the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) despite announcing its plan to boycott a meeting with a special committee formed to look into the country’s latest basketball controversy.

Speaking at a hastily-called press conference at the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) office in Quezon City on Friday, Vargas said “logic, rationale and the SBP’s track record” in the past two years that it has handled basketball affairs would be enough to convince the Fiba not to suspend the Philippines.

“I’m confident we will not be suspended,” said Vargas, who represents Talk ‘N Text in the PBA Board of Governors. “We have been communicating with independent-minded people in the Fiba who are willing to listen to our case.”

If the SBP is suspended, the Philippines will be barred from joining Fiba-sanctioned events, including the upcoming Fiba-Asia Championships from Aug. 6 to 16 in Tianjin, China, where the PBA-backed Powerade-Team Pilipinas is representing the country.

PBA chair Joaqui Trillo and league commissioner Sonny Barrios reiterated the PBA’s “unconditional and whole-hearted support to the SBP,” after a special meeting that also discussed the propriety of Powerade-Team Pilipinas manager JB Baylon’s move to meet with Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP) secretary general Graham Lim.

“JB regrets meeting with Graham now that he understands the situation,” Trillo said. “Even if we are suspended, Powerade will continue to support the team.”

Acting on numerous complaints by the BAP, including an alleged violation of the Bangkok Agreement that paved the way for the creation of the BAP-SBP, Fiba secretary general Patrick Baumann created the special committee composed of secretary general emeritus Borislav Stankovic, Fiba honorary president Carl Menky Ching and Fiba legal counsel Ken Madsen to meet with SBP and BAP officials in Geneva, Switzerland from July 20 to 22.

The SBP has assailed the creation of the committee, which Vargas described a “hang court” since members of the group have ties with Lim.

“We don’t want to be stupid and fall into a trap,” Vargas said. “We are making a stand. We are proud we are doing the right thing.”

Meanwhile, BAP president Propero “Butch” Pichay branded SBP’s threat to snub the Fiba meeting as unsportsmanlike and an affront to the highest governing body of basketball in the world.

“It is, to say the least, unsportsmanlike,” Pichay said during yesterday’s Scoop Sa Kamayan weekly session in Padre Faura, Manila.

“You don’t defy the highest ruling body of your sport. You have to respect that body and its leaders. We are living in a civilized and democratic world where there are rules to be followed,” Pichay added.

Pichay said rather than assail Fiba’s move, the SBP should be thankful that the country’s cage problems are being given attention.

“Nothing in the invitation states that we will be suspended,” Pichay said in Filipino. “It they don’t attend the meeting, we may indeed be suspended.”

In the end, Pichay advised SBP officials to attend the Geneva meeting or meet with the BAP faction.

“My advice is for them to attend the hearing so the Fiba can be enlightened if there really are violations in their agreements (in Bangkok) or none,” Pichay said. “If they really don’t want to go, then let’s meet here and talk and try to resolve our problems right here. I’m open for a dialogue.”