Pro players to strengthen class in February qualifying round
The BPA Board of Governors on Thursday gave the green light to Klaas Filipinos to list the services of pro gauges for the third window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers to be held in February.
BPA Commissioner Willie Marshall, who saw the national gauges win against Thailand in Bahrain, was forced to field all amateur ranks in the latest window, so the team approved the request of Samahang basketball president Al Panlilio.
“(SBP) leader Al Panlilio told us that BPA players can be used and we allow it,” Marshall said, adding that the matter will be discussed further once the SBP submits a formal request to the board.
The presence of BPA players in the window prompted BPA to push back on the planned start of the 46th season in April.
During the first window solo match last February, Glass fielded a mix of BPA and amateur standouts, beating Indonesia 100-70 in Jakarta.
The BPA gauges that matched against the Indonesians included NLX’s Kiefer Ravena, DNT’s RR Pokoi and Terrafirma’s CJ Perez.
The ongoing BPA bubble forced Glass to go with the amateur players, even though it already had some benefits to offer the national jersey.
Kahlas defeated 90-76 and 93-69 to advance to Group A, 3-0, under a bubble system in the Bahraini capital, Manama.
SBP has expressed interest in hosting a similar bubble in February, and being positive on the list will help increase the team’s chances of regularizing its entry into continental competitions.
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