SBP formalizes appeal to PBA

source: Waylon Galvez | mb.com.ph

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) has formally sought the help of the PBA to allow three of its superstar players – Asi Taulava, James Yap and Kelly Williams – to play for the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas for this year’s Asian Games in Guangzhou, China.

The SBP forwarded the letter, signed by SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan, to the PBA Commissioner’s Office Friday afternoon.

Outgoing PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios said he expects the request to be discussed by the PBA Board of Governors, chaired by Rene Pardo of B-Meg Derby Ace, in a meeting on Thursday in Hong Kong, although a recommendation is needed from incoming league Commissioner lawyer Chito Salud.

“The incoming commissioner will have to study first the request before coming up with a recommendation,” Barrios said Friday night.

Sources, however, said the letter did not specify the time frame on how long the service of Taulava, Williams and Yap, the PBA Most Valuable Player last season, will be needed for the national team as the request only mentioned that it is for the Asian Games in November.

“It didn’t mention kelan nila kailangan yung players to start training. It doesn’t mean that the tournament is in November, that month pa lang mag-e-ensayo yung tatlo. Things like that, the board will have to know,” a source said.

The 6-foot-9 Taulava already played for the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas in the Stankovic Cup in Lebanon, while Yap suited up for the Powerade-Team Pilipinas under coach Yeng Guiao in the 2009 FIBA-Asia Championship in China.

Williams and Taulava were with the Chot Reyes-mentored all-PBA RP team in the FIBA-Asia Championship in Japan in 2007.

Smart-Gilas Serbian mentor Rajko Toroman has asked the SBP to get the three players from the PBA, whom he feels can help the Nationals in their bid to win a medal in the Asian Games where they will face teams like Iran, China, Japan, Korea, Jordan, Qatar and Lebanon.

Aside from the Asian Games, Smart-Gilas is also preparing for the Asian Championship in Lebanon next year, the qualifying event for the 2012 London Olympics.

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