PBA mulls invitational in pre-season next year

By Nelson Beltran
Friday, September 28, 2007

MACAU – The Philippine Basketball Association is to hold a mini-invitational tourney after the All-Filipino and the Fiesta Cups to spice up the league’s calendar next year.

It’s still in the drawing board but the invitational tourney could feature two foreign guest teams competing against the would-be All-Filipino champion and runner-up, and one or two selections coming from the eight other PBA teams.

The PBA intends to hold the invitational in August next year when other club tourneys in the Asian region are already over.

“Why not in between the All-Filipino and the Fiesta Cups? It’s because it’s easier to invite teams in August and September when the other leagues in the region are already done with their tourneys,” said PBA officer-in-charge Sonny Barrios.

“It would be like the Manila Invitationals where Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas invited over China, Syria and Lebanon to play the RP team before the FIBA Asia Championship in Tokushima,” said board chairman Tony Chua.

Chua said it’s a test tourney, which could be held regularly if it turns out well.

Top-caliber teams from China and Korea are being eyed for the initial tourney.

However, only Chinese second-tier squads may be available since the Beijing Olympics is also set in August next year. Iran is the other Asian team, which made it to the 2008 Olympics.

The board felt an extra tourney is feasible especially next year when there’s no major international tournament scheduled for the Philippines.

The PBA has no commitment to the national team until 2009 when the next FIBA Asia Championship is played.

The 2009 Asian championship is the qualifier for the 2010 World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey.

Alaska Milk won the most recent PBA Invitationals in 2003, topping guest teams Novi Sad of Yugoslavia, Jilin Tigers of China and Yonsei University of South Korea. The league shifted to two-conference format the following year.

The holding of the 2008 Invitationals was the last item approved in the PBA board of governors’ three-day conference in this former Portuguese colony concluding yesterday.

The creation of a search committee for the new commissioner, new game rules and the 2007-08 season budget and calendar were the other matters approved in the meeting.

The season starts Oct. 14 at the Big Dome with San Miguel Beer and Air21 featured in the opening game.