The Games and Amusement Board has issued a clarification on the ‘professional tag’ of players taking part in a tournament sanctioned by the government agency for professional sports.
GAB chairman Baham Mitra said: “An amateur athlete who is issued a special guest license shall not be deemed to be a professional by his mere participation in professional sports competitions. So, there is no need to declare him as an ex-pro.”
Earlier, Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League commissioner Kenneth Duremdez warned that players who will take part in the inaugural Chooks-to-Go VisMin Super Cup will be declared professionals and therefore be subjected to limitations set by the league.
Under MPBL rules, teams are limited to only seven ex-pros in the lineup and only five allowed to play per game.
In a way, the GAB is seeking exemption for student athletes or amateurs from the said policy by the MPBL, a league founded by boxing icon Senator Manny Pacquiao.
“If a player from the NCAA or AFP, or national team gets this special license from GAB, he will not automatically qualify as a professional athlete,” Mitra added. “As the agency mandated by law to regulate and supervise professional sports in the Philippines, these are the policies we need to uphold and implement to avoid confusion.”
Mitra said four players from the different school-based teams have applied for and were given Special Guest Licences by the GAB.
In a report, Tiebreakertimes mentioned Arellano University’s Jordan Sta. Ana, Rich Guinitaran, CJ Pamaran, and Shane Menina as the student players, who got their special guests licenses from the GAB.
Their move was reportedly approved by the management committee, said Arellano athletic director Peter Cayco as per Tiebreakertimes report.