Photo from the Asean Basketball League Facebook page
Except for national athletes, players in sports who have signed contracts and get paid are considered professionals.
This will be the guiding principle of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) when the professional sports regulatory body sits down with “play-for-pay” leagues that consider themselves amateurs.
“Call it allowances or fees, but as long as you have a contract and earn from it, then you’re considered a pro,” said GAB commissioner Fritz Gaston.
According to Gaston, there’s an ongoing discussion whether players in the Shakey’s V-League, Philippine Super Liga and the Alab Pilipinas basketball team in the Asean Basketball League should secure a professional license from the GAB.
“It’s the mandate of the GAB to oversee how professional leagues conduct themselves and, at the same time, protect the interests of professional athletes,” said Gaston, a former PBA cager who played for the U/Tex Wranglers and Great Taste Coffee Makers in the late 70s to the 80s.
Gaston added the GAB would invite officials from the PSL, Shakey’s V-League and Alab Pilipinas for a dialogue early next year to put the agency’s cards on the table and, at the same time, let these leagues explain their side with regards to their status.