A highly placed source said the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is inclined not to lend players to the national team for the Asian Games because of the limited preparation period and the schedule conflicts with the season calendar.
The source added the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) has indicated it will not accredit a team other than a PBA selection.
"The PBA may not agree to sending players to the Asian Games because of the short period of preparation," said the source. "At the same time, the POC will not accredit a team that is mediocre or haphazardly formed. Besides, the PBA has committed to send players only to the Asian qualifying tournaments for the World Championships and the Olympics, not the Asian Games."
Only public clamor will change the PBA’s direction, noted the source.
Since 1990, the PBA has formed the national team strictly for the Asian Games. Robert Jaworski coached an all-pro squad to the silver medal at the 1990 Beijing Asiad. Norman Black was the coach at the 1994 Hiroshima Games, Tim Cone at the 1998 Bangkok Games and Joseph Uichico at the 2002 Busan Games. Cone managed a bronze in Bangkok while Black and Uichico settled for fourth place.
Last year, the PBA decided to withdraw support for the Asian Games and instead, send players to the FIBA-Asia qualifying tournaments for the World Championships and the Olympics. The long-term goal was to bring the Philippine basketball team back to the Olympics in Beijing in 2008.
The Philippines has not played basketball in the Olympics since the 1972 Munich Games and in the World Championships since Manila hosted in 1978.
The road to Beijing will mean the Philippines qualifying to play in the FIBA-Asia Continental Championships next year via the SEABA (Southeast Asian Basketball Association) tournament and claiming an Olympic slot by finishing first or second, if China tops the regional competition. China has an automatic berth in the Olympic 12-team cast as host nation.
Another road to Beijing is open to 12 non-regional qualifiers, including two from Asia, by invitation to a "bonus" qualifying tournament where the three top finishers earn slots to the Olympics.
The "bonus" tournament will be played on July 7-13, 2008 and has been approved by the International Olympic Committee.
With only 12 teams playing in Beijing, outright qualifiers are host China, the 2006 World Championships gold medalist, the regional champions from Africa, Asia and Oceania and the top two placers from the Americas and Europe. The remaining slots will be for the top three finishers in the "bonus" qualifying tournament.
Since China has been guaranteed a ticket as host country and assuming it wins the FIBA-Asia Continental Championships next year, the second Asian placer advances to the Olympics. That means Asia is assured of at least two slots in the Beijing Olympics. One or two more slots will be allotted to Asia depending on how the two invited Asian teams fare in the "bonus" qualifying tournament.
To prepare for the Olympics, a source said national coach Chot Reyes will designate a pool of 15 players to form the national team in January.
"The idea of naming the national players early is to give focus to the training and to spare the mother clubs of not knowing if their players are going to be pulled out for whatever reason," said the source. "It’s also to give recognition to the players who are ready to commit themselves for the country."