SBP Wants To Synchronize League Calendars

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas is planning to meet and talk with top officials of the PBA and collegiate leagues like the UAAP and NCAA with hopes of synchronizing all their schedules with the calendar of the FIBA-Asia in forming future national teams.

SBP executive director Renauld "Sonny" Barrios said this came out after Energen Pilipinas failed to bring in some of their top players to play in the FIBA-Asia U-16 Championship at the Khan Noa Sports Center here because of their school commitments back home.

"These are the things we need to address at the SBP level, rationalize the calendar of the big leagues like the PBA, UAAP and NCAA so that we can synchronize it with the FIBA-Asia calendar," said Barrios.

"This is because we want to maximize our participation of our players for our future national teams so we're looking forward to sitting down with the authorities of those organizations.

"The sooner the better for us to have a good year-long program not just because of the concerns of our Under-16 team but also the program concerning Smart Gilas II," added the former PBA commissioner.

The concern was voiced by Energen Pilipinas coach Olsen Racela, who terribly missed San Beda's Arvin Tolentino, Gideon Babilonia and Radge Tongo and La Salle-Greenhills' Gelo Vito, who are currently playing in the ongoing best-of-five NCAA high school finals tied at a win apiece.

"I'm talking to Sonny Barrios about our problem with the conflict of schedule, if they could do something about it, good. And if they get me back as coach, that will be a consideration because I want to have 15 players who I'm sure will be there until the end," said Racela, whose contract expires at the end of this month.

"But I leave it up to the SBP to look for a solution," he added.

Despite the manpower problems, the Nationals had overachieved by making it as far as the semifinals and with a clear shot of a finals appearance and a stint to next year's World U-17 Championship in Kaunas, Lithuania but ended up absorbing a heartbreaking 58-67 loss to the South Koreans.

"Overall, I think we did a good job in spite of the fact that we lost our starting center, our backup center and our leading scorer in SEABA," said Racela. "I think getting into the semis is quite an achievement for this team and I give really credit to these boys who really sacrificed a lot. 

source: Joey Villar, Philippine Star