No Broken Promise

by: Quinito Henson

A $5,000 participation fee was recently advanced by Philippine Collegiate Champions League (PCCL) chairman Rey Gamboa for the La Salle senior varsity basketball team to represent the country at the World University Games in Belgrade, Serbia, on July 1-12.

With PLDT-Smart confirming it will foot the bill for the Green Archers’ trip and incoming UAAP president Anton Montinola of FEU proposing to move La Salle’s season-opening game to July 16, the way is now clear to Belgrade.

The trip was promised to the winner of the PCCL title last year. The Archers won the crown and were excited to play in the Universiade particularly as “import” Marko Batricevic is from Serbia. But when the deadline to submit the final engagement forms lapsed last Feb. 1 and nobody had contacted La Salle to coordinate the trip, the Archers wondered if they were taken for a ride.

But Jose (Junjun) Capistrano, who is the Philippine representative in the Universiade governing body Federation Internationale du Sport Universitaire (FISU), yesterday assured arrangements for the trip are in progress. From all indications, the trip is a go. The only hitch is if FISU thumbs down La Salle’s participation which, said Capistrano, is unlikely.

Capistrano said 24 slots are available in basketball and if there are over 24 applicants, FISU will choose the entries. Paying the $5,000 participation fee, however, should guarantee the Archers a slot.

Capistrano, a member of the SBP Board, was nominated by the POC to represent the country in FISU two years ago. He is also the Philippine representative in the Asean University Sports Council and the Asian University Sports Federation. In July 2007, Capistrano attended the FISU meeting in Bangkok where the last Universiade was held.

“The Philippines was invited to send a basketball team to Serbia because the FISU secretary-general at that time knew of our love for the game,” said Capistrano. “With that in mind, I mentioned it to the SBP Board and since Rey (Gamboa) is also in the Board, we thought of offering the opportunity to the PCCL champion.”

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Capistrano said the Serbia format will require all teams to play until the last day of the event.

La Salle was initially slated to play UE in the main game of the UAAP season-opener on July 11. When Gamboa wrote the UAAP Board about the possibility of La Salle playing in Serbia, Montinola said he would propose an adjustment in the schedule.

“(FEU athletic director) Mark (Molina) and I reworked the UAAP schedule which is still subject to Board approval,” said Montinola who takes over the UAAP presidency with FEU as host during the Awards Night and turnover rites on Thursday. “We’re proposing for La Salle to play UE on July 16 to give them a chance to return from Serbia and take a few days rest. It will mean adjusting our calendar and playing three games instead of two in some days to make up.”

Montinola said FEU supports the PCCL and in a personal capacity, saw no problem in accommodating the request to adjust La Salle’s schedule.

Incidentally, Montinola clarified that the UAAP Board has not yet appointed a commissioner, contrary to what some sources claim. He also mentioned the La Salle-Ateneo game is set on the last day of the first round.

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Gamboa wrote a formal letter to outgoing UAAP president Dr. Sergio Cao of UP informing the UAAP Board of La Salle’s participation in Serbia. While no formal reply has been made, Gamboa said Montinola’s expression of support was reassuring.

“The $5,000 application deposit has been paid to the organizers and we are awaiting their confirmation of the Philippines’ participation,” said Gamboa.

Aside from basketball, the Philippines will send a delegation of 24 taekwondo jins to Serbia. The delegation is made up of 12 male and 12 female athletes, three coaches and a team official. The Philippine Taekwondo Association is taking care of the delegations’ expenses. In the last Universiade, the Philippines took a bronze medal in taekwondo.

Gamboa said the basketball event in Serbia is limited to teams with priority given to those with a previous record of participation.

Capistrano said in 1967, the Philippines sent a basketball team to the World University Games in Tokyo. “The UAAP used to represent the country in the Universiade,” he went on. “We sent athletes only to the Universiades which were held nearby so it didn’t cost too much. Eventually, the letters of invitation were sent to the POC.”

Capistrano said a FISU meeting is slated on March 19-21 in Belgrade among the heads of delegations to decide the draws for the different events. The round-trip air fare of $15,000 is prohibitive so it’s unlikely he’ll go. He said he will inquire if the national development training team is leaving to train in Serbia soon and if the schedules coincide, perhaps an SBP official could attend the meeting.

The expenses to send La Salle to Serbia will run up to over $300,000. SBP executive director Noli Eala has confirmed that PLDT-Smart will cover the costs of the Archers’ trip to Belgrade.

More on the PCCL in tomorrow’s column.