No headway in sight for Philippine baseball row

MANILA—The baseball imbroglio could drag down after the Southeast Asian Games in November.

That became clear after the 11-man ad hoc committee met for a third time over the weekend and failed to come up with clear-cut guidelines regarding the membership and election policies of the Philippine Amateur Baseball Association.

Some members, who refused to be named, said establishing rules for the eligibility of a voting member would take months to complete and may stretch after the SEAG in Indonesia.

Others preferred to look ahead at the possibility of competing in the World Classic in 2013.

“We can beat a few teams out there, we are ranked in the top 50 in the world,” said one of the committee members.

The Philippines is currenty ranked 23rd in the world in men’s baseball according to the International Baseball Federation website. It is ranked in Southeast Asia behind Thailand, which is rated 18th.

The committee is starting from scratch, according to some members, with regard to the choice of stakeholders that should be represented in the new Paba board.

Instead of holding outright elections, some committee members are inclined to forming a transition team before a new Paba administration takes over.

Expected to be considered in new board are leagues like the Baseball Philippines, UAAP, NCAA, Prisaa as well as different clubs like the Manila Sharks.

Meanwhile, the country’s participation in the SEA Games remains uncertain with the national team under suspension by the Philippine Sports Commission for failing to join the PSC-Philippine Olympic Committee National Games last May.

The present Paba, whose president Hector Navasero has vowed to step down after the SEA Games, is not recognized by the POC pending the holding of new elections.