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FIBA Expels Lim, Reaffirms SBP Support

On: 15 May 2008

FIBA-ASIA

By Nelson Beltran
The Philippine Star, 15 May 2008

The International Basketball Federation (FIBA) reiterated its support to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas under the leadership of Manny Pangilinan and ordered the expulsion of former Basketball Association of the Philippines’ secretary-general Graham Lim from the FIBA Youth Commission.

The FIBA Central Board passed a crucial resolution in full support of the SBP after discussing the situation of the sport in the country in a recent meeting in Beijing.

FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann informed SBP of their decision in a letter dated May 13. FIBA president Bob Elphinston, officials of FIBA Asia and the Philippine Olympic Committee were also informed of the decision.

The FIBA Central Board reaffirmed its support of the SBP as the country’s national basketball federation and decided to “disregard communication coming from the former organization BAP as it has no rights with FIBA.”

“The organization (BAP) has been merged into the new federation and thus no longer exists,” Baumann stressed.

In the same meeting, Baumann said they decided to dismiss Lim from his membership in the FIBA Youth Commission as “his continuous actions to disrupt the proper functioning of SBP using the BAP umbrella are unacceptable.”

Baumann said Lim’s actions “discredit basketball and are incompatible with a position within the FIBA family.”

The FIBA Central Board has also asked FIBA Asia and the SBP to review Lim’s participation in both bodies.

This developed as the SBP executive committee approved in a meeting yesterday the addition of four more leagues in the federation’s active membership which will nominate those who will sit in the 25-man board of trustees.

The board will vote from among themselves on June 12 who will serve as SBP officers in the next four years.

The Visayas Amateur Athletic Association, the Iloilo Basketball League, Zamboanga City Sports and Arts Association and the Philippine Collegiate Champions League qualified as active members, bringing to a total of 19 the SBP league members with nomination rights.

During the press conference held after the executive committee board meeting, Pangilinan hinted he would stay on as SBP president if he’s nominated.

Out of the 19 which gained active membership status, only six – the Visayas Amateur Athletic Association, WNCAA, NCRAA, NCAA-South, Cagayan de Oro School Athletic Association and NAASCU – are from the BAP list.

The Philippine Basketball Association, Philippine Basketball League, UAAP, NCAA and CESAFI were among the first batch of cage bodies given active membership status in the federation.

Those which didn’t make it are classified associate Members.

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