The Philippines will no longer send a national men's basketball team to the 2018 Asian Games.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas said this following a meeting with officials of the Philippine Basketball Association early Thursday.
The SBP, led by its president Alfredo Panlilio, said in a statement that they made the decision “to allow our National Team and our organization to regroup, prepare for the process of appealing the FIBA Disciplinary Panel’s recent Decision, and aim for sustainable success in future tournaments.”
The decision comes a few days after the FIBA, the world governing body in basketball sanctioned SBP with a P13-million fine after the FIBA Disciplinary Panel suspended 13 players and 2 coaches, from the Gilas Pilipinas and the Australian Boomers.
The suspensions and fines came after a fight which broke out midway through the third quarter of the Philippines-Australia encounter of their FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan last July 2.
Officials believe that joining the Asiad at this time will not maximize the national squad's exposure.
“We have reached the conclusion that, with the forgoing considered and after consulting with the basketball community, the time and chance to participate in the 2018 Asian Games would not be optimal,” said the SBP in their statement.
SBP was supposed to tap the nucleus of the Rain or Shine squad and Fil American cager Jordan Clarkson of the Cleveland Cavaliers for the Asiad.
They were supposed to let NLEX coach Yeng Guiao, and Rain or Shine Coach Caloy Garcia call the shots for the team.