SBP needs Congress nod on Douthit, Zheng

It’s about time those who are handling the Smart Gilas national basketball team realize that the Philippine Olympic Committee has set specific deadlines for compliance with requirements on accreditation, documents and rosters.
That’s because the POC wants to make sure that the deadlines, set by the Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee, and the various other requirements are met in order to prevent any last-minute hassle.
Blaming the POC should Chris Lutz and Marcus Douthit not get accredited for the Asian Games is both unfair and incorrect.
Lutz apparently didn’t have a passport, so he couldn’t get accredited, and neither did Douthit.
Asking that the deadlines be pushed back, even after the POC bent backwards to accommodate Smart Gilas, showed no real understanding or even adherence to rules and regulations.
Besides, the POC was dealing with China where, when they set deadlines and institute rules and regulations, they expect them to be followed.
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What we find hard to figure out—setting aside rumors of turf wars and personal rifts—is that it’s the Smart Gilas people who effectively want to run the show when administrative matters should rightfully fall under the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, where the eminent sportsman-businessman Manny Pangilinan is president and Noli Eala, executive director.
To begin with, the naturalization process, as Eala so correctly pointed out, was a first step, with the approval by the House justice committee— where Rep. Robbie Puno did a fine job, knowing his personal passion for basketball and sports in general.
But we contend it’s a very good first step and one that we hope will show the way to our congressmen and senators when the time comes for them to act on the naturalization bill.
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It is not something that is disallowed by the international governing body for basketball, Fiba, as well as our own Constitution. But there are ways in which the process must be carried out within the framework of the Constitution and our country’s laws.
The passion with which millions of Filipinos follow the sport, which has for decades been an integral part of their lives, sends a simple message to Congress that something our people enjoy will be made even more enjoyable and relevant in terms of international competition.
At the very least, the Philippines, going up against the behemoths of China, Lebanon, Jordan, Iran and Qatar—which appears to have integrated more Africans into their lineup through the simple and expeditious process of giving them citizenship, a passport and  innumerable perks—will be given a fighting chance.
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We must commend the PBA board of governors under chair Rene Pardo, the bright and youthful commissioner Chito Salud and the teams concerned for releasing three star players to the national team at the request of Pangilinan.
The teams made an individual sacrifice and the league made a collective contribution to the national effort no matter how insignificant it may be.
But it was a contribution nevertheless, and if our congressmen and senators view their task in the same light, it would be worthy of the representatives of our people.
To deny two young basketball players the privilege of citizenship in their desire to become Filipinos and help our national team in the international arena would be distressing.
And quite honestly, when our nation and people need a collective lift, we expect Congress to provide a helping hand.
Considering our longstanding ties with the United States and our firm and friendly relations with China, no matter the repercussions of the hostage crisis, giving Douthit and Zheng Xiaojing Filipino citizenship seems only fair and logical.