Isang basketball court sa Pasig City ang handang ibigay ng Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) sa Laos para lamang maibilang ang basketball event sa 25th Southeast Asian Games sa 2009.
Ang pagbibigay ng SBP, nasa ilalim ng pangulo nitong si Manny V. Pangilinan, sa Laos ng basketball court ng PhilSports Arena (dating ULTRA) ay naipaabot na sa Laos SEA Games Organizing Committee.
“The SBP has already conveyed our offer to donate the ULTRA court to the Laos SEA Games Organizing Committee,” wika ni SBP Director Dr. Mikee Romero ng Harbour Centre.
Bunga ng kakapusan sa pondo at kawalan ng mga sports facilities, inisip na ng Laos na huwag nang isama sa calendar of events para sa 2009 SEA Games ang basketball event.
Hangad ni Romero na mapanatili ng men’s national basketball team ang dominasyon sa SEA Games kasabay ng pagtataguyod naman sa women’s squad sa 2009 Laos SEA Games.
“Our goal is to get a double gold medal in the next Southeast Asian Games, and we hope to assemble a strong national women’s team from the pool of players in the WPBL,” sabi ni Romero. “We spent P25 million for the men’s team that won the gold in Thailand and we hope to work something out with the SBP for the budget for both the men’s and women’s teams.”
Sa suporta ni Romero, naiuwi ng men’s national team ni coach Junel Baculi ang gintong medalya mula sa 2007 Thailand SEA Games, habang tanso naman ang nasikwat ng women’s squad ni mentor Fritz Gaston.
Para mapalakas ang women’s basketball scene, bubuhayin ni Romero at ni PBL Commissioner Chino Trinidad ang women’s basketball league na una at huling idinaos sa ilalim ni dating PBL Commissioner Yeng Guiao noong 1998. (Russell Cadayona)