POC backs bid to host Olympic cage qualifiers

Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) first vice president Rep. Monico Puentevella said recently the plan for Manila to host a world qualifying basketball tournament for three slots in the 2008 Beijing Olympics would be a fitting project to introduce the new National Sports Association (NSA) to the global cage community.

Puentevella said the Filipino officials, summoned by FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann to Tokyo late last month to settle the leadership crisis that led to the suspension, broached the idea of hosting the event scheduled July 7-13, 2008.

"We formally manifested our intent to host the 2008 qualifiers," said Puentevella. "Our offer was received with enthusiasm."

No city has been designated to host the qualifiers which will take place before the Beijing Olympics basketball tournament on Aug. 9-24, 2008. It would make sense for an Asian country close to China to host the competition.

Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) commissioner Noli Eala described the plan to host the qualifiers as a good idea to remind the world of the country’s passion for the sport and to show unity among Filipino officials.

Baumann said he would send details, costing and rules of the qualifiers to the new NSA from his Geneva office early next year so Manila could study the viability of the project.

Puentevella said even if the Philippines clinches a slot in the Beijing Olympics at the FIBA-Asia Continental Championships in Saitama, Japan, next year, it will still offer to bid for the qualifiers as a gesture of support for FIBA.

The Olympic basketball program is only for 12 teams, a format instituted the last eight stagings since 1976. Previously, the format was for 16 teams–the last was when the Philippines took 13th over Japan, Senegal and Egypt at the 1972 Munich Olympics. It was also the last Philippine appearance in an Olympic basketball tournament.

At the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, a qualifying tournament was held in Yokohama where the Philippines participated but failed to advance.

Asia is assured of only one slot in the Olympics but at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, South Korea made it as a second Asian entry because China figured prominently in the last World Championships. At the Beijing Olympics, China is guaranteed a ticket as host nation, opening another sure slot for Asia.

If China wins the FIBA-Asia Continental Championships next year, the second placer qualifies for Beijing outright.

In Beijing, nine slots are reserved for 2006 world champion Spain, China as host, the FIBA Continental champions from Asia, Africa, Europe, the Americas and Oceania and the FIBA Continental runners-up from Europe and the Americas.

The remaining three slots are for the top three finishers in the world qualifiers where 12 countries–one from Oceania, two from Africa and Asia, three from the Americas and four from Europe–will be invited by FIBA to participate.

It will be the first qualification tournament for the Olympics since 1964.

POC president Jose Cojuangco Jr. expressed support for the country’s initiative during a recent briefing by Puentevella after the Tokyo meetings. He said because of the people’s high expectations for basketball in the coming Asian Games, no less than the country’s best players from the PBA should make up the national team. And if the PBA is not able to form the national team, he said he is inclined to skip basketball in Doha and instead, will look forward to a determined effort in the FIBA-Asia Continental Championships next year.