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THE 34th Philippine Basketball Association season will stick to a
two-conference format to accommodate the formation of the RP
national team which will see action in the 2009 FIBA-Asia
Championship in Guangzhou, China.
PBA Commissioner Sonny Barrios stressed the
importance of the FIBA-Asia tournament in September, which will
serve as qualifying for the World Championship in 2010.
Thus, the next season will only feature the
usual Philippine Cup and the Fiesta Conference, which will end in
June to give at least a two-month preparation for the national
quintet, according to Barrios.
“As per our agreement with the Samahang
Basketbol ng Pilipinas [SBP], the national coach will choose the
members of his team,” said Barrios during Friday’s SCOOP forum
at the Kamayan Restaurant in Padre Faura.
Barrios said he was given by the PBA Board a
free hand to select the head coach of the RP team, which finished
ninth in Tokushima, Japan last year.
“The appointed coach may form a national
training pool with as many players he wants and choose among them
the members of his national team,” added Barrios in the forum
sponsored by ACCEL.
-- Frank C. Calapre
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