Let’s get physical -- Barrios

By: Gerry Ramos
People's Journal
September 26, 2007

MACAU – As its way of conforming to the international brand of play, the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Board yesterday approved the new rules proposed for the coming 2007-08 season, foremost of which is the allowing of the game to be played a bit physical.

PBA Officer In-Charge Sonny Barrios admitted the changes to be adopted by the league will help make the game more exciting and fast-paced.

“Gusto kasi natin na may konting physical `yung game, for the game to become more fast-paced and exciting,” said Barrios during a break in the first of the
two-day meeting and planning session by the Board at the posh Venetian Hotel and Casino here.

The controlled handcheck – a rule intended not to impede the offense of the game - is one of the new rules proposed by Barrios before the Board as the PBA,
slowly but surely, tries to adapt to the physical brand of play that has been the norm in international competitions.

The league OIC, however, refused to mention the rule in the same breath as the no-harm, no-foul play implemented by former commissioner Mariano Yenko and deputy commissioner Tommy Manotoc in 1985.

“Through this new rule, we’ll be able to see `yung ganda ng laro and ‘yung skills ng mga players. It’s a way of letting the players’ play and decide the game by its own merit,” he added.

Also approved by the Board is the new measurement of the three-point region from 22 to 20 feet and modifying the rectangular area of the playing court into trapezoid form.

All of the new rules were adopted in the ongoing pre-season tournament which received favorable response from the Board.

“From a fans’ point of view, mas magiging exciting ang games this season,” said league chairman Tony Chua.

Also proposed during the meeting was the restructuring of the PBA into a corporation.

Barrios suggested the Sycip and Gorres Velayo (SGV) group to be the lead agency to study the pros and cons of the matter.

PBA finance officer Jimmy Sunglao has been tasked to coordinate with SGV, which will be given at least a month to complete its studies.

The SGV has been the official auditor of the league for the past 25 years.

Meanwhile, the PBA’s ambitious bid to put up a coliseum of its own will have to come at a cost – literally and figuratively. The league expressed its utmost desire to pursue the staggering P600 million debt owed them by its past television coveror, an amount it hopes to use in financing the construction of a modern, state-of-the-art playing arena that will be permanent home of Asia’s first-ever play-for-pay league.

The arrears were reportedly incurred from the end of the 1999 season up to the final year of the late commissioner Jun Bernardino’s term.

Ricky Vargas, board representative of Talk ‘N Text and predecessor of Chua as PBA chairman, was resolute in acquiring back the balance due, knowing fully well it can help cover the cost of the project.