PBA commissioner Willie Marcial is all smiles after a recent meeting with French Ambassador to the Philippines Miche’le Boccoz (center) and French Counselor for Cooperation and Cultural Affairs Narc Piton (right). The Philippines and France will celebrate 75 years of friendship on June 26. —PBA IMAGES
The cancellation of the Asian Games (Asiad) in Hangzhou, China, may relieve some of the stress on the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) schedule, but the league commissioner is more worried about its implications on the national program.
“Sure, it’s a welcome development for the league,” PBA commissioner Willie Marcial told the Inquirer over the phone on Friday, referring to a one-month break after the Philippine Cup the PBA had scheduled to help Gilas Pilipinas prepare for the Asiad.
“But you have to consider the fact that it’s also one of the avenues to prepare for the Fiba (International Basketball Federation) World Cup here next year,” Marcial said, adding the league has yet to receive official word of the cancellation, which was caused by the uptick of coronavirus cases in neighboring Shanghai.
“We’re going to study the situation, but as of now we have yet to hear an official word that it has been bumped to next year,” he said.
The Philippines will cohost the Fiba World Cup with Japan and Indonesia, and Gilas Pilipinas is building a team that could compete credibly in the basketball showcase. Part of the buildup was to expose the national team to as many international meets as possible.
Meanwhile, 67 names have thrown in their names for the annual Rookie Draft and Marcial is expecting that number to swell just before the league’s deadline on Saturday.
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