SBP says Asia deserves another Olympic slot

MANILA, Philippines - The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, along with other Asian countries, will sign a manifesto asking the International Basketball Federation to allot at least one slot to Asia out of the four additional berths FIBA will seek in the 2012 London Olympics.

SBP executive director Noli Eala yesterday confirmed the report saying he would accompany RP basketball chief Manny Pangilinan in the FIBA World Congress set Sept. 4 in Istanbul, Turkey where the FIBA World Championship is currently being staged.

This development came after FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann announced in the FIBA website that they are looking to increase the number of participants in London from 12 to 16 after impressive performances of the African and Asian teams competing in the world tilt.

Baumann cited Tunisia’s tough stand before absorbing a 65-80 defeat at the hands of powerhouse Brazil headed by NBA players Leandro Barbosa and Thiago Splitter.

Lebanon also made a good account of itself with a shock 81-71 win over Canada in Group D while Asian champion Iran, led by seven-footer Hamed Haddadi of the Memphis Grizzlies, stamped his class over Tunisia in Group B action.

A Yao Ming-less China split its games in Group C after defeating Ivory Coast and losing to Greece.

Jordan, however, dropped all of its three matches in Group A.

“We have to make the Fiba realize that Asian teams could now compete against the top teams in the world,’’ Eala said.

He added that aside from the population and popularity of the sport in the region, they would use these current solid performances as a selling point to FIBA in asking for another slot for Asia.

This would be vital to Smart Gilas Pilipinas’ campaign as it competes against the best in the region in the 2011 FIBA-Asia Championship in Beirut, Lebanon where only one Olympic berth is at stake.