Ni Tito Talao
Nakatakdang dumating sa bansa ang dalawang mataas na opisyal ng International Basketball Federation (FIBA) para pangasiwaan ang pagsasaayos at pagsuri sa mga venue para sa gaganaping FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament sa bansa sa Hulyo.
Anim na koponan, kabilang ang Philippine Gilas basketball team, ang sasabak sa Manila OQT na gaganapin kasabay ng dalawa pang qualifying tournament sa Turin at Belgrade sa Hulyo 5-10.
Nakataya sa torneo ang tatlong nalalabing slots para sa 2016 Rio Olympics.
Kasama ng Gilas sa Group B ang world No. 5 France at New Zealand, dating koponan nang ngayo’y coach ng Pilipinas na si Tab Baldwin. Sakaling makalusot, mapapalaban ang Gilas sa semifinals kontra sa dalawang mangungunang koponan sa Group A — Turkey, Canada at Senegal.
Nakatakdang dumating sa Manila sina FIBA sports and competitions director Predrag Bogosavljev at FIBA Asia secretary-general Hagop Khajirian ng Lebanon sa Pebrero 28.
“They will also be inspecting the hotels where the teams, FIBA officials and the technical crew will be billeted, and likewise the security and transportation arrangements,” sambit ni Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Sonny Barrios.
“Even the media accreditation was discussed and we were told FIBA will be handling everything. They will be very strict, maybe even more than they were during the FIBA Asia Championship (in 2013 also at the MOA Arena),” aniya.