SBP’s predicament in forming the best possible lineup for the Asian Games is some of the country’s top players aren’t able to join because their teams in the Japanese B-League and Korean Basketball League won’t release them since the competition isn’t FIBA-sanctioned as a qualifier for either the World Cup or Olympics.
In FIBA tournaments, the international federation mandates leagues around the world to release national players. PBA is the only league which stops playing regardless of the timing of the season to allow national players to represent the country in FIBA and non-FIBA events. In PBA’s view, patriotism takes precedence over league play or club interests. It’s not the same view with the B-League and KBL.
Before the recent Aichi-Nagoya Asian Games, SBP reached out to the B-League and KBL to release Filipino players in order to join Gilas. B-League declined. KBL initially agreed to release Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao but later pulled back. Of course, they’re under no obligation to release players who are under contract. Their obligation is to FIBA not to the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) which is the Asian Games’ governing authority.
In Nagoya, 16 Olympic sports offered direct qualification to LA through the Asian Games. The sports included archery, triathlon, surfing, tennis, squash and hockey. Of the 469 events in Nagoya, 329 are on the Olympic program. The next Asian Games in Doha will be in 2031, a five-year wait to align with the Olympic calendar. The idea is to hold the Asian Games the year before the Olympics in order to invite more Olympic qualifying sports. The problem is sports like basketball stipulate eligibility rules in the Olympics different from the Asian Games so qualification isn’t possible.
But there’s a possible solution to SBP’s problem. OCA has suasion over National Olympic Committees (NOCs) that participate in the Asian Games. NOCs, in turn, influence NSAs under their supervision. The NSA for basketball oversees leagues that are affiliates. If OCA requests an NOC to ask an NSA to allow leagues to release athletes for the Asian Games, it won’t likely be turned down. POC could initiate the process by appealing to OCA for support. SBP wouldn’t be in a position to appeal because it has vested interests like the B-League and KBL. If the B-League and KBL accede to what the NSAs ask on the strength of a request from their NOCs through OCA, then Gilas can expect Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Mike Phillips, Quentin Millora-Brown, Kai Sotto, KQ and Tamayo to represent the country even in non-FIBA events like the SEA and Asian Games. Let’s hope the stranglehold is finally unlocked.