SBP offers to host cancelled FIBA World Cup qualifying games

March 4 ------ WILL the Philippines once again serve as a neutral host for the postponed games of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers? As a sign of good gesture, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas offered to have the four cancelled games of Window 2 be played here following the growing armed conflict in the Middle East.

SBP president Ricky Vargas disclosed making the proposal to FIBA Executive Director for Asia Hagop Khajirian during the Gilas Pilipinas-Australia game Sunday night at the Mall of Asia Arena. "I told Hagop about it, that we can host the games here if FIBA wants it," said Vargas, who is also chairman of the PBA Board.

The SBP already showed it can host non-Gilas games in the ongoing qualifiers as it staged the window 2 game between China and Chinese Taipei on Sunday also at the MoA Arena, which preceded the Gilas-Boomers match. Team Dragon rallied in the final quarter for a 100-93 win played before a surprisingly modest crowd at the Pasay venue.

Following the growing tension in the Middle East in the aftermath of the combined US and Israel attack on Iran, FIBA decided to postpone the Group C and Group D games scheduled on the final day of window 2 on Sunday. Among those affected were the games between Iraq and Jordan and Iran-Syria in Group C, and Lebanon-India and Qatar-Saudi Arabia in Group D.

With the exception of the Saudi-Qatar game which is slated in Riyadh, all of the matches were booked in Lebanon. SBP Executive Director Erika Dy said FIBA decided to hold the postponed games as part of the window three schedule of games. "So there will be more games to be played by these teams in the third window," she said.

FIBA has yet to respond to the offer made by the SBP.

Source: spin.ph