Discriminatory to Asia?

Former Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) secretary-general Moying Martelino confirmed yesterday that Asia has been allocated only a single slot in the 12-nation hoop competitions at the Athens Olympics next year.

Considering Asia as a continent has the largest population in the world, you wonder why Oceania has two slots. Is the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) prejudiced against Asia?

"Not so," said Martelino who was the ABC’s chief workhorse for nearly 10 years.

Martelino pointed out that at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, two slots were allocated for Asia. That was because China placed eighth in the 1994 World Championships where tickets were reserved for the top five finishers. Since three of the top five were zonal champions, qualifying slots were awarded down the line up to the eighth placer, which happened to be China.

Martelino explained that China’s eighth place finish guaranteed Asia a second slot but it wasn’t necessarily a ticket for the Chinese.

"The Olympic qualifying tournament is the ABC championships the year before the Olympics," said Martelino. "With China’s eighth place finish in 1994, FIBA allocated two slots for Asia in the 1996 Olympics, meaning the finalists in the 1995 ABC tournament qualified for Atlanta." China and South Korea went on to represent Asia at the 1996 Olympics.

In the 2000 Sydney Olympics, Asia was back to a single ticket. And in Athens next year, Asia will again be represented only by the ABC champion–to be determined in Harbin, China, late this month.

Population has nothing to do with the allocations for each continent, said Martelino.

In Athens, the 12 slots are allocated as follows–one for the 2002 World Champion Serbia-Montenegro (formerly Yugoslavia), one for Greece as host country, the champion of each zone (Africa, Asia, the Americas, Europe and Oceania), two more from the Americas and Europe and one more from Oceania.

The top three finishers in the Americas and European qualifying competitions are guaranteed tickets. If Serbia-Montenegro and Greece place among the top three in the ongoing European tournament, the next three will qualify–meaning down to fifth place. In the Americas, the top three–US, Argentina and Puerto Rico–earned tickets to Athens after the recent qualifiers in San Juan.

New Zealand’s fourth place finish in the World Championships last year gave Oceania an extra ticket like Asia in 1996. So the finalists in the Oceania qualifiers gained Olympic slots. In Oceania, only Australia and New Zealand figure in the qualifying tournament because the continent’s other countries like the Fiji Islands and Papua New Guinea are not competitive. The tournament format is a best-of-5 series. Australia beat the Kiwis in three straight games to clinch an Olympic ticket last month. New Zealand will also play in Athens as the Oceania runner-up.

The Olympic qualifiers so far are Serbia-Montenegro, Greece, the US, Argentina, Puerto Rico, Angola (the African champion), Australia and New Zealand. The ABC winner will join the group and three more countries from Europe.

Angola gained the African ticket after beating Nigeria, 85-65, in the qualifying tournament last month. Angola showed up with only one US-schooled player Joaquin Gomes of Valparaiso while Nigeria’s stars included former Purefoods import Gabe Muoneke of Texas, Olumide Oyedej of the Orlando Magic, Tunji Awojobi of Boston University, Guy Ikpah of Oklahoma State, Jeff Varem of Washington State and Churchill Odia of Oak Hills High.

The Philippines hasn’t played Olympic basketball since 1972. The country sent cagers in 1948, 1952, 1956, 1960, 1964 and 1968.

China, starring Yao Ming, is a cinch to top this year’s ABC tournament and qualify for Athens. What are the Philippines’ chances? Absolutely zilch.

For the Philippines to safely advance to the quarters in the coming ABC tilt, coach Aric del Rosario’s boys must beat Qatar and Jordan since they’re expected to lose to Japan. Beating Qatar won’t be easy. The Qataris trained in Turkey–a basketball hotbed–under US coach Joseph Steibing and are itching to shame the Filipinos. Qatar’s top gun is 6-8 dunking sensation Yaseem Ismail Mahmoud.

ABC president Sheikh Saud Bin Ali Al Thani of Qatar recently inquired from Filipino sources if the Philippine team that lost to Hong Kong in the finals of a recent invitational tournament will represent the country in Harbin. Sheikh Saud was worried that the Philippines will send the Busan squad to Harbin instead. When he was told the pros will stay home, Sheikh Saud heaved a sigh of relief.

Sheikh Saud is almost sure that Qatar will join Japan in the quarterfinals, leaving the Philippines behind. What a shame.

Postscript. Philippine Basketball League (PBL) commissioner Chino Trinidad leaves today for the US to begin a certificate course in organizational management and business administration at the University of California in Berkeley. Chino, 36, will be gone about 10 days. He will attend classes at a UC campus in South San Francisco then continue his course by correspondence in Manila. While in the US, Chino plans to catch some games in the Women’s National Basketball Association Finals–if the Los Angeles Sparks make it. Chino is a zoology graduate from the University of the East. He initially thought of becoming a doctor then a career in sports–which is a passion for the PBL commissioner–beckoned ... Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) courtside reporter and Star columnist Janelle So celebrated her 26th birthday yesterday. She leaves for the US on Sept. 15 to take up a certificate course in print and broadcast journalism at the University of California in Los Angeles (UCLA). It’s a nine-month course but Janelle said she might be back in December for the holidays. A communication arts cum laude graduate from Miriam in 1998, Janelle became a PBA TV mainstay three years ago. She has also done non-sports shows like "FVR Up Close," the ASEAN Summit coverage in Malaysia and the Centennial Celebrations. Janelle was on the Asian Games TV coverage team in Bangkok in 1998. To Chino and Janelle, bon voyage and be safe.