“The OCA, however, is strict with its three-year residency rule. A player could not be moving in and out of a country during that period.

While the Philippine Basketball Association stepped up to loan its players, the Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas (SBP) opted to pullout of the 18th Asian Games as it could no longer secure the services of potential reinforcements that would make the National Team more competitive.

In a dizzying Thursday that started with a PBA Board meeting to formalize the deployment of the core of Rain or Shine to the Asiad, an abrupt announcement by the SBP of its withdrawal near midnight shook the national delegation that will be leaving without a basketball team for the second time.

The only time the Philippines did not play in the Asian Games was in 2006, when the country was suspended by the International Basketball Federation following the withdrawal of major stakeholders from the Basketball Association of the Philippines.

The BAP was the disgraced federation in charge of the sport until it was stripped of recognition by Fiba in 2007. It was succeeded by the SBP, which was recognized by Fiba in 2008.

PBA commissioner Willie Marcial admitted shock after receiving a call from a top SBP executive to inform him about the withdrawal around 10 p.m. The SBP made official its announcement to withdraw 50 minutes later.

“I was stunned by the call and the succeeding announcement. Remember that just hours before, the PBA Board gave the green light to Rain or Shine to represent the Philippines in the Asian Games,” Marcial said.

Rain or Shine was tapped to replace the core of Talk ‘N Text, a Manny Pangilinan-owned team in the PBA which was to represent the Country in the Asiad until the Philippines figured in bench-clearing brawl against Australia during the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifiers at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan on July 2.

The fight resulted in 13 players ejected and the Philippines losing a discontinued game, 89-53, after only three players were left to continue the game for Gilas — June Mar Fajardo, Gabe Norwood, and Baser Amer.

Terrence Romeo, Jayson Castro, Calvin Abueva, Andray Blatche, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Japeth Aguilar, Carl Bryan Cruz, Matthew Wright and Jio Jalalon were meted with fines and suspensions by the Fiba for figuring in the melee.

Abueva was slapped with a six-game suspension — the longest, while Pogoy, Cruz and Jalalon were banned five games each.

Castro, Romeo, Blatche, Rosario were suspended for three games, while Aguilar and Wright will sit out one game each.

The Philippines was also fined some P13.5 million by the Fiba, aside from suspensions slapped against some of its coaches.

“We had a talk with Coach Chot Reyes. We asked him: ‘Asiad or the Fiba window?’” He said: ‘Window,’ related Marcial.

Marcial claimed he had another chance to ask Reyes anew and got the same answer.

But the SBP, according to Marcial, aired a plea for the Asian Games. So, the PBA board supported the call for Rain or Shine to represent the Philippines in the Jakarta conclave set next month.

But while Rain or Shine made its players available, the SBP will not be able to secure the services of a reinforcement.

This, despite its earlier announcement to call in National Basketball Association player Jordan Clarkson, a Filipino-American seeing action for the Cleveland Cavaliers.

It was reported that Clarkson holds a Philippine passport as a dual-citizen.

But the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA), which administers the Asian Games, requires non-citizen athletes from competing countries at least three years residency in the country it wishes to represent.

Clarkson’s case harks back to the non-participation of Andray Blatche in the Incheon Asian Games in South Korea in 2014, when the former Washington Wizards and Brooklyn Nets center gave up his slot to long time Gilas reinforcement Marcus Douthit.

Gilas placed seventh in the men’s basketball competition in Incheon.

The SBP reportedly appealed before the OCA in behalf of Clarkson and Christian Standhardinger, a Filipino-German who played for Gilas and is now with San Miguel Beer in the PBA.

“Unfortunately, the OCA has different rules than that of the Fiba,” said Mauricio Martelino, secretary general of the Asian Basketball Confederation as FIBA Asia was then known.

According to Martelino, the most senior Filipino sports executive to have served the sport, the Fiba only requires naturalization of foreign players wishing to play for a country to immediately receive clearance to see action in Fiba-sanctioned tournaments.

“The OCA, however, is strict with its three-year residency rule. A player could not be moving in and out of a country during that period,” he said.

Clarkson never resided in the Philippines.

It was Martelino who appealed before OCA president Sheikh Ahmed Al Fahad Al Sabah of Kuwait in behalf of the SBP to plea for Blatche.

He was rebuffed by the OCA at that time.

The SBP had also asked the OCA for a chance at tapping Clarkson and Standhardinger this time.

It received a ‘no’ for an answer yet again.

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