BASKETBALL is for all.
That was the resounding message of Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan during the cage body’s annual National Congress last Friday at the Meralco Multi-Purpose Hall in Pasig.
“Basketball must be inclusive. It must invite. It must make room. It must be open,” Pangilinan said. “This game grows not when we guard the gates but when we open our doors.
“When women, youth, 3×3 players, professionals, and grassroots all feel that this game is theirs to shape, and to share,” he added as the country’s leaders and stakeholders of the governing organization for the sport, led by Pangilinan, president Al Panlilio, and chairman Robbie Puno, gathered.
The gab was held mainly to set the future of the SBP and vote on the amendment of some of its bylaws that include the addition of 3×3 and eFIBA as part of its mandate, as well as adding a Player Representative to the Board of Trustees. Elections for the next Board and its officers are slated this coming October.
“The National Congress is a chance to celebrate our progress, honor those who have helped us get here, and recommit ourselves to the hard work ahead,” Puno said.
“The SBP is more than an organization—it is a community and it will take all of us, working together, to build a future for Philippine basketball that is not only proud of the past—but prepared for what’s next. More than just continuity, we live by our commitment and our love for this sport.”
Former SBP chairman and now DepEd chief Sonny Angara and former executive director Sonny Barrios were also awarded the prestigious Manuel V. Pangilinan Award.
For their exploits overseas, Jack Animam, AJ Edu, Justin Brownlee, Kevin Quiambao, Dwight Ramos, Kai Sotto, Carl Tamayo, Ange Kouame, and Jhazmin Joson were given due recognition for representing the national teams and the entire country in their home leagues.
Western Visayas received an award as the top-performing region in the SBP’s Grassroots program while the NCAA was feted in celebration of its 100th year.
Filanthropic Sports Federation, Inc. was also honored as a funding recipient of FIBA’s Basketball for Good program.
Panlilio’s lofty vision for the nation that treats basketball as a religion is to have a place to call home, akin to the FIBA’s famous Patrick Baumann House of Basketball in Mies, Switzerland
“My dream is for us to build our own Home of Basketball—a lasting legacy where every child, every fan, and every aspiring athlete can find their place and pursue their dreams,” he said.
“I hope that, together, we can continue to nurture the next generation and ensure that Philippine basketball remains a source of pride for all.”
