SBP to seek FIBA exceptions?

MANILA, Philippines — There is an exception clause in FIBA’s eligibility policy where secretary-general Andreas Zagklis has sole authority to allow foreign-born players to suit up for countries as locals despite holding passports issued after turning 16. However, the condition is they’re either long-term residents or college graduates from the countries.

“They should be allowed and it’s something we really need to fight for,” said SBP executive director Erika Dy. FIBA has granted exceptions for Greg Slaughter and Chris Newsome, both foreign-born Ateneo graduates with Filipino lineage, to play for Gilas as locals. Under FIBA rules, a foreign-born player with or without ethnic heritage may play as a local for a country if he or she received a passport before turning 16. It’s the reason why Qatar’s lineups lists players from Senegal, Montenegro and Bosnia-Herzegovina as they were recruited before turning 16. Another exception is US-born Brandon Jawato who made his Indonesian national team debut at the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers after receiving his passport at 27.

Ivory Coast native Ange Kouame, who is a naturalized Filipino, should be in the list of candidates for exception since he’s a local collegiate graduate like Slaughter and Newsome. Another candidate could be La Salle’s Mike Philips who played for the Gilas gold medal squad at the 2023 SEA Games as a Philippine passport-holder. In the SEA Games, an athlete may represent a country with a passport regardless of when it was issued.

UP’s Quentin Miloria-Brown would be another candidate. He has submitted a copy of a green-cover Philippine passport that was issued before turning 16 but it was never used. The passport has no immigration stamp. Brown has reportedly said he would submit an actual copy of the passport to SBP for verification with the proper government authority. Brown will not be eligible to play in the Japanese B-League as an Asian heritage import unless he plays as a Gilas local. It’s a different case with Converge guard Deschon Winston who was cleared by FIBA to play as a Gilas local after submitting an authenticated Philippine passport before he turned 16.