Averting ambush a triumph of justice

MANILA, Philippines - Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) chairman Monico Puentevella said yesterday if SBP president Manny Pangilinan hadn’t demanded justice in a confrontation with FIBA-Asia secretary-general Dato Yeoh Choo Hock of Malaysia and deputy secretary-general Hagop Khajirian of Lebanon, Smart Gilas would never have reached the quarterfinals of the ongoing FIBA-Asia Championships in Wuhan.

The night before Gilas’ game against Jordan, Puentevella said former SBP executive director Noli Eala phoned from Manila reporting “there may be good news forthcoming” on the clearance of Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz to suit up after they were declared ineligible for three contests. The report was confirmed by Gilas deputy team manager Butch Antonio the next morning. 

Puentevella said Pangilinan was scheduled to leave Wuhan for Manila the morning of the Jordan game last Monday but cancelled the trip and his business appointments to support Gilas. 

“We were on our way to the gym when Butch called MVP saying Hagop changed his mind while the team was doing the round robin,” recounted Puentevella who was in Wuhan. “MVP went all over the place looking for Dato Yeoh and Hagop and both couldn’t be found. We knew something was really wrong. Media waited for MVP’s encounter with the two. Meantime, the score was bad in the first period, 17-2 for Jordan. The team felt screwed up, was really down and no one could score.”

Pangilinan finally found Dato Yeoh and Hagop. He showed a document from FIBA secretary-general Patrick Baumann clearing Lassiter and Lutz but the FIBA-Asia officials stubbornly refused to budge. Pangilinan then phoned Baumann on his cell, appealing for his intervention. Baumann called Hagop to allow Lassiter and Lutz to play and the go-signal was given.

Gilas trailed by 18 in the second period but with their spirits buoyed by the clearance, the Filipinos trimmed the lead to five at the half and went on to win by eight, 72-64. Jordan has placed the outcome under protest, insisting that Gilas’ scoresheet did not list Lassiter and Lutz as active players before the game.

“We don’t really know what was Hagop’s problem up to now,” said Puentevella. “Before the game against China, MVP met Hagop outside the corridor of the stadium and asked him to reconsider the ban on Marcio and Chris. Stern and firm, Hagop told MVP no way unless FIBA in Geneva gives the green light.”

SBP executive director Sonny Barrios, former FIBA-Asia secretary-general Moying Martelino and Eala reached out to Baumann and Benjamin Cohen of FIBA Legal Affairs to settle the issue. Pangilinan himself sent an e-mail message to Baumann, saying “we cannot help but protest strongly at this last minute unfair treatment (and) I trust that FIBA upholds the principles and tradition of fairness and equity in sports.” Pangilinan described the decision as “distressing.”

The decision to ban Lassiter and Lutz came a day before the start of the FIBA-Asia Championships. Also barred were five key Qatar players, leaving only seven eligible players on coach Ali Ahmal Fakhroo’s roster. Hagop explained that players must be citizens of their countries before they reach 16 and disqualified Lassiter and Lutz on this basis.

In a letter to Cohen, Barrios pointed out that Lassiter and Lutz are recognized as natural-born Filipino citizens under Philippine law as at least one of their parents was a Filipino citizen at the time of their birth. Besides, both players saw action at the FIBA-Asia qualifying tournament and “if they were accepted and allowed to play in the qualifying tournament, it stands to reason that they are qualified to play in Wuhan.”

Barrios said FIBA Internal Regulations No. 3-21 stipulates that “any player with two legal nationalities or more by birth or by naturalization may choose at any age the national team for which he wishes to play … this provision applies to any player having acquired legal nationality by birth or having the right to acquire a second nationality by birth but who does not lay claim to this right until a given time in the future.” Under this clause, Lassiter and Lutz are exempted from the before-16 rule.

Puentevella said Cohen contacted him the day before the Jordan game when Baumann couldn’t be reached. “Cohen called me on the line after given instructions by Baumann to get in touch,” he related. “He told me only a piece of information was missing, Lassiter’s passport copy which had to be sent immediately to resolve the issue. The night before, I was lucky to contact Baumann who was about to board a flight to Lithuania for the Eurobasket Championships. He told me there’s a process to follow in clearing both players and that if all papers are in, he can decide within the hour. I gave the phone to MVP who made a final appeal to Baumann who assured a quick decision after receiving the documents. The papers were e-mailed to Cohen by Butch.”

Barrios said FIBA-Asia officials initially axed Lassiter and Lutz because their Philippine passports were issued after they turned 16. But they acquired their citizenship by birth right and according to Philippine law, they may claim it anytime they wish before or after 16.