The PBA is urged to change its schedule next season to avoid conflicts with the Philippine national men’s basketball team which will compete in the six-window FIBA World Cup qualifiers begin later this year.
For the qualifiers, Gilas Pilipinas will be participating in home-and-away games, with nine-day window dates scheduled from November 2017 until February 2019.
As most Gilas Pilipinas players are coming from the PBA, the league, if it sticks to its current schedule that usually starts in October, might be forced to take numerous breaks during those times, disrupting its calendar.
A PBA board member, who requested anonymity, suggested a league opening after the first window in November.
Another PBA team executive raised the possibility of moving the season to January after the holiday season.
“Kasi nga, hindi rin logical na kaka-open pa lang ng season, tapos magbi-break rin kaagad,” he said. “Mas maganda kung sa January na umpisahan. This will give the players of Gilas enough time to prepare for the home-and-away tournament.”
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio said he has already informed PBA commissioner Chito Narvasa about Gilas Pilipinas’ schedule, and it’s leaving it up to the league if it will make necessary changes to its calendar.
“Commissioner Chito explained it to the board. We also have to agree on the preparation for the home-and-away. It’s very clear in the MOA. What Chito wants is to strengthen it up further on really committing how we can get as much preparation we can get,” Panlilio said.
“We understand the concerns in the MOA. Like for example, November, there won’t be much problem because the PBA is on a break. Depending on when the PBA will start again whether it’s going to be December or can move it further.”
Panlilio is confident that the PBA will come up with a plan that will be benefit both the national team and the league.
“Comm. Chito and the PBA can fix it. That’s the reason why we had given them the calendar until the third window in July of the home-and-away. All these are clear. The last three windows, we haven’t discussed it yet. The ones which will be left out were the ones which went through the first three windows. Whoever goes through that makes it to the next level,” he added.
“We’re making sure we’re aligned. Again, the objective is the same – to help the national team.”
