FIBA GAMES CANCELED
STRICT travel restrictions forced the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to cancel the country’s hosting of the third window of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) Asian Qualifiers Group A set from February 18 to 21 in the Clark bubble. The SBP announced the cancellation in a statement signed by SBP President Alfredo “Al” Panlilio through his special assistant Ryan Gregorio on Tuesday.
Panlilio said the National Task Force Against Covid-19 thumbed down the hosting.
“We’ve constantly communicated with our partners from the National Task Force Against Covid-19 and they have informed us that there would be no exemptions from the current travel restrictions announced by the Department of Foreign Affairs,” Panlilio said.
The Covid-19 variant severely affected travel around the world including the Philippines, Panlilio said.
“South Korea, Indonesia and Thailand also begged off from hosting games, and also Japan which was supposed to host Group B,” he said.
The Philippine government imposed a strict travel ban for the whole month of January because of the new Covid-19 variant with the Department of Health announcing on Tuesday that 17 cases have been discovered in the country.
Although Presidential and Inter-agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF) Spokesperson Atty. Harry Roque Jr. said the travel ban will be imposed on “a case-to-case basis,” the hosting of an international competition especially basketball is not an exemption.
Panlilio expressed his frustration on the cancellation because the SBP and the Bases Conversion and Development Authority (BCDA) headed by Vince Dizon have been meticulously preparing the Clark facility since last December after a successful Philippine Basketball Association bubble season.
“The SBP wanted nothing less than to be one with the international basketball community as it attempts to bounce back in 2021 after taking a huge hit during the pandemic,” said Panlilio, also the Philippine Olympic Committee’s first vice president.
“The SBP has rendered its services of hosting not only Group A but also Group C composed of powerhouse New Zealand, Australia, Guam and Hong Kong, assuring everyone of a safest and world class state-of-the art facilities here in the Philippines,” he furthered in the statement.
“Our commitment [to Fiba] has never wavered as evidenced by our participation in the Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers in Manama, Bahrain, even amidst the difficult circumstances,” he said. “We’ve exerted a lot of effort into our hosting of the Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers and this is why it is with great sadness that we announce it is no longer going to happen.”
The Qatar Basketball Federation offered to host the games in Doha.
Panlilio told Businessmirror that the national pool for the supposed games in Clark would remain in the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna, and “continue training while they [SBP] await what to do next.”
“We are working with Fiba to look for possible solutions to this situation. We look forward to the day that the SBP welcomes Fiba basketball to our shores again,” he added.