After the Seaba Championships, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will have some problems to resolve.
The availability of the likes of June Mar Fajardo, Calvin Abueva, Terrence Romeo and Japeth Aguilar—virtually the core of the squad—for future international tournaments is hanging in the balance.
PBA board members Alfrancis Chua of Barangay Ginebra and Alaska’s Dickie Bachmann said the PBA’s commitment with the SBP is for the Seaba only.
If this problem is not addressed the soonest, national coach Chot Reyes faces a big problem on how to form a competitive Gilas team that will campaign in the tournaments leading to the World Cup in 2019.
Days before the Seaba Championships, SBP chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan has already expressed concern over the availability of the PBA players for the first round of Asia-Oceania qualifiers.
Initially, the Philippines is grouped with Australia, Japan and Chinese-Taipei in the Asian qualifiers for the 2019 World Cup.
The Philippines will open the Asia-Oceania qualifiers on the road against Japan on Nov. 24. Gilas Pilipinas will host Chinese-Taipei on Nov. 27.
Australia will host the Philippines on Feb. 22, 2018. The Philippines will host Japan on Feb. 25 then Chinese–Taipei will host Gilas on June 22 and then the Philippines will host Australia on July 2.
These schedules conflict with the PBA games .
The All-Filipino Conference will be held in the first two windows of the Asia-Oceania tournaments and the third conference will be played in June and July.
The other tournaments lined up for Gilas this year are the Jones Cup in July, Fiba Asia Cup and the Southeast Asian Games (SEAG) in August.
Two separate Gilas teams will be formed for the Fiba Asia Cup and SEA Games to be coached by Chot Reyes and his assistant Jong Uichico respectively.