Basketball, kalimutan muna – Puentevella

BACOLOD – Nanawagan si Congressman Monico Puentevella, sa mga kapwa niya Filipino sports officials na ituon na lang ang pansin na mapagwagian ang overall championship sa Southeast Asian Games at kalimutan na ang nakakairitang isyu tungkol sa basketball.

"We have exhausted all efforts for that matter (basketball issue), so enough is enough. Let us stop this finger-pointing and admit we are all to blame us leaders," ani Puentevella.

"Basketball is not the SEA Games. Let us just go for the overall championship and put a closure to this issue that causes irritants to this SEA Games," dagdag niya.

Ito ang payo ni Puentevella kay Basketball Association of the Philippines president Joey Lina na ayaw magpaawat sa kanyang laban na muling kilalanin ng Philippine Olympic Committee ang BAP para mailaro ang basketball sa SEA Games.

"Joey Lina is the only one who can allow basketball to be played in the SEA Games although I think it’s too late now. If he claims that FIBA has been supporting him all these times, all he has to do is simply call FIBA secretary general Patrick Bauhmann that he accepts his expulsion from the POC where 33 NSAs booted him out," ani Puentevella.

"This will be a supreme sacrifice for his part. I’m sure FIBA will restore basketball in this games and he will be given an applause by the 80 million Filipinos for making the sacrifice," dagdag pa ni Puentevella.

Kung hindi kayang gawin ito ni Lina, siguro mas maganda pang pag-usapan ang isyu sa basketball dahil totoong huli na ang lahat para sa negosasyon.

"This might even be a blessing in disguise that other sports fit for the Filipinos may hug the limelight now," ani Puentevella. (Nelson Beltran)