BAP must clean its ranks — POC

The Basketball Association of the Philippines may soon find itself back in the arms of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

But it won’t be that easy.

Jose Cojuangco, the POC president, yesterday said this will only happen if the BAP is emptied of the same old faces and replace them with new ones.

"It must be emptied," said Cojuangco as he emerged from the PSA Forum, which he graced at the Pantalan Restaurant in Manila.

"If you will just put the same members, then it’s just the same old one. The problem will remain," said Cojuangco.

Cojuangco said BAP president Joey Lina should be the only holdover in the 60-year-old association, which was expelled by the POC roster last year.

By old faces, Cojuangco was particularly referring to BAP secretary-general Graham Lim, who is facing deportation charges, and probably a couple more.

The BAP expulsion, which came after the basketball group failed to honor an agreement with the POC regarding the formation of the RP team, also led to a FIBA (International Basketball Federation) suspension on the Philippines.

The suspension led to the cancellation of basketball competitions in the 23rd Southeast Asian Games, which the Philippines hosted last December. The Philippines also missed representation in a couple more tournaments before that.

For FIBA to lift the suspension, the Philippines was given until March this year to form a new association acceptable to everyone, and it includes the world governing body in the sport.

But before that, FIBA also said the suspension can also be lifted once the BAP is reinstated as a regular POC member.

The POC was given the direct hand to lead the formation of a new group, which should include the major stakeholders like the Philippine Basketball Association, Philippine Basketball League and collegiate leagues UAAP and NCAA.

Under a memorandum of understanding between the POC and FIBA, the BAP should also keep its representation in the new group through Lina.

Representatives of the different stakeholders have been meeting regularly. But they have yet to really form a new group although they have already coined a new name for it — Pilipinas Basketball.

The stakeholders, however, seemed to have realized that keeping the BAP or at least its name, would be the easiest way to get the FIBA suspension lifted.

And with Cojuangco now on the same page, it may not take long before it happens. — Abac Cordero