Alapag appointed to key Fiba position

 Jimmy Alapag. FILE PHOTO

MANILA, Philippines—Jimmy Alapag just took on a new role for Philippine basketball.

The recently retired former PBA MVP, once regarded as the best point guard in Asia, was appointed by the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) to its newly created Players’ Commission under Vlade Divac.

“I am very honored to represent my country in the Fiba Players’ Commission,” Alapag said after he became the fourth Filipino to hold a position in the sport’s governing body following Manny V. Pangilinan, Dr. Raul Canlas and lawyer Edgar Francisco.

Pangilinan is in the 25-man central board, while Canlas and Francisco have positions in the medical and legal departments. All will serve from 2014 to 2019.

Fiba secretary general Patrick Baumann appointed Alapag.

The creation of Players’ Commission was held in August last year in Seville on the eve of the FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Part of the group’s thrusts is “to study issues relating to players of all age groups, propose to the Central Board measures deemed necessary to improve the conditions of players, make recommendations on practices or activities likely to be affecting the interests of players, and provide feedback on and advice on possible improvements to the various competitions of FIBA.”

On the strength of his appointment as head of the Players’ Commission, Serbian Olympic Committee president Divac is also a member of the FIBA Central Board.