Philippines to host 2013 FIBA Asia Championship after 40 years

MANILA, Philippines – For the first time after 40 long years, the Asian basketball championship will be held in the country in August.

The FIBA Asia Executive Committee decided late yesterday to move the 27th FIBA Asia Championship from Beirut, Lebanon to Manila in view of the current situation in Lebanon and the rest of West Asia.

"Unfortunately, the current situation in the region and the on-going civil war in Syria, which has its indirect effect on the countries in the whole of West Asia, especially on Lebanon, creates doubts about the stability that we might not have, at least, till the fixed dates of our event," said FIBA Asia secretary general Hagop Khajirian in his official communiqué to FIBA Asia members.

"In view of these facts, the FIBA Asia Executive Committee decided to change the (tournament) venue from Beirut-Lebanon to Manila-Philippines," Khajirian further said.

The Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas welcomed the opportunity to host the event serving as the regional elimination for the 2014 FIBA World Cup. The top three in the Asian joust qualify for the world meet set in Spain.

"SBP is pleased to accept this rare privilege of hosting the FIBA Asia Championship – a similar event we last hosted 40 years ago. Much hard work lies ahead in organizing this event, but we will do our best to make it successful," said SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan.

"It is time to unite Philippine basketball to achieve our goal of entering the World Championship in Spain in 2014," Pangilinan added.

Remaining a big problem is the conflict of the FIBA Asia Championship schedule with that of the PBA third conference.

SBP has informed the PBA board of the situation but the two parties have yet to sit down together to figure out how to resolve the matter.

The PBA has earlier agreed to lend players to the national team for as long as it doesn't distract the PBA season. And that's the main reason why only Meralco's JayR Reyes and Ronjay Buenafe, and Air21's KG Canaleta were able to join Smart Gilas Pilipinas in its Dubai trip.

"It's official: Manila hosts 2013 FIBA Asia Championship! All d hardwork thru Xmas & New Year paid off. Now d really difficult work begins," said national coach Chot Reyes on his Twitter account from Dubai.

Reyes obviously has yet to figure out how can he get the players that he really wants for the team.

An option reportedly being looked at, if the problem is not ironed out, is just putting together the core of the Talk n Text and Meralco teams which are both owned by the MVP Group.

The Philippines narrowly missed the top three the last time out in Wuhan, China, placing fourth behind China, Jordan and Korea. It's the country's best finish in the biennial event since the Joe Lipa-mentored Phl team led by Benjie Paras, Alvin Patrimonio and Ronnie Magsanoc also placed third runner-up in 1987 in Bangkok, Thailand.

With five championships, the Philippines is the second most winningest team in the tourney behind China (15 crowns) but has not won one since Ron Jacobs steered Samboy Lim, Allan Caidic, Hector Calma, Dennis Still, Jeff Moore and their group to the top in 1985 in Kuala Lumpur.

Before that, the country last won the Asian meet when it was last held in Manila in 1973. The Tito Eduque-coached team composed of Robert Jaworski, Ramon Fernandez, Manny Panner, Abet Guidaben, Bogs Adornado, Tembong Melencio, Yoyong Martirez, Jimmy Mariano, Francis Arnaiz, Joy Cleofas, Dave Regullano and Big Boy Reynoso won the championship (then still called Asian Basketball Confederation championship) via a 10-game sweep.

The Philippines topped the inaugural tourney held in Manila in 1960, then repeated in 1963 in Taipei and in 1967 in Seoul.

The Philippines had been the region's most dominant team until the formation of a pro league in 1975. With the country's best players turning pros, China took over as the region's kingpin, ruling all but four of the next 19 editions of the championship. (http://bit.ly/VT14li)

philSTAR

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Japan Philippines United for China; Coast Guard & Build Train System Offered

Bullet Train Technology Japan

To Counter China, Japan and Philippines Will Bolster Maritime Cooperation

TOKYO — In a telling sign of how China's rise has helped turn former wartime foes into allies, Japan and the Philippines agreed on Thursday to cooperate more closely on maritime security.

During talks in Manila, the foreign ministers of Japan and the Philippines proclaimed their nations to be strategic partners that would collaborate more in resolving their separate territorial disputes with China, news reports said. They also expressed "mutual concern" over increasingly assertive claims by China that have embroiled both nations, according to Kyodo News.

Japan is in a tense showdown over islands in the East China Sea, while the Philippines has wrangled with China over control of islands and fishing grounds in the South China Sea. The two nations agreed to exchange information and discuss each other's strategies for responding to China, the ministers were quoted as saying. The Philippine minister, Albert del Rosario, said the discussion included a request by his country for 10 new patrol ships from Japan to strengthen the Filipino coast guard.

His Japanese counterpart, Fumio Kishida, was appointed last month by Japan's new conservative Prime Minister, Shinzo Abe. The decision to have Mr. Kishida visit the Philippines for his first trip was seen as a symbolic gesture by Mr. Abe, who has vowed to strengthen security ties with other democracies in the region in an effort to offset China's growing military and political clout.

Mr. Abe has also said he wants to work more closely with the United States and Australia to help bolster the capacity of less-developed nations like the Philippines to stand up to China. While long-pacifist Japan has restricted its aid to mostly nonmilitary purposes, like building up coast guards, its leaders have recently begun loosening some of the self-imposed restrictions. Japan is now in talks about providing training to submarine crews from Vietnam, and last year it gave its first limited military aid to East Timor and Cambodia.

Japan has long supplied development aid in the region, but it has operated carefully to avoid stirring bitter memories of its militarism during World War II, when its forces swept across much of Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, then emerging from its colonial relationship with the United States. However, in recent years Japan's military has slowly raised its profile by joining regional training exercises and holding its first bilateral military maneuvers with Australia and India.

The building of regional military ties represents a significant strategic departure for the country, which after World War II relied for its defense on the United States and the roughly 50,000 military personnel it bases in Japan. For its part, China has pointed to the moves as proof of a resurgent militarism in Japan, which it says is swinging to the right.

News reports said Mr. del Rosario, the Philippine minister, called China's territorial claims in the South China Sea a threat to regional stability.

"We also need to be able to address the possibility that the freedom of navigation would be adversely affected," he was quoted as saying by The Associated Press.

The Japanese foreign minister agreed.

"As the strategic environment is changing, it is necessary for us as foreign ministers to share recognition of the situation," Mr. Kishida said after the talks, according to Kyodo News. Kyodo said that Mr. Kishida also offered development loans to help build a light-rail system and a new airport. (http://nyti.ms/13lTggC)

New York Times 

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