The FIBA World Cup is fast approaching and the FIBA Asia officials urged the Philippine Basketball (–foul word(s) removed–)ociation (PBA) to move the schedule of the season-ending Governor’s Cup to give way to Gilas Pilipinas preparation in the world’s most prestigious basketball event of the year.
In a news report posted by Interaksyon, FIBA Asia Communications Head S. Mageshwaran said that the PBA should move the Governor’s Cup to give the Philippine National Basketball team more time to prepare for the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
In a column written on the official FIBA Asia website, S. Mageshwaran was quoted as saying “The third and final conference of the PBA, the Governor’s Cup, can be – and in my opinion should be – put off in support of the national team,” he stated.
Based upon the current PBA schedules the last conference of the PBA will end in mid-August, only two weeks before the start of the World Cup which will be held in Spain from August 30 to September 14, 2014.
During last season’s schedule of the PBA, the league altered its schedule by moving the Governor’s Cup to way to the FIBA Asia Championship in Manila. The move of the PBA result in an unprecedented success of the Gilas Pilipinas as the team captured the Silver medal of the competition and earned a ticket to Spain.
Meanwhile, according to Ramon Segismundo, chairman of the PBA Board of Governors, the PBA is discussing plans to once again alter the schedule of the season to allow Coach Chot Reyes and his Gilas Pilipinas squad to prepare for the FIBA World Cup 2014.