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After weathering the storms in the year that was, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) gears up for tougher challenges in 2010.

“As we look forward to the new year, we must believe that 2010 will represent the true test of all our efforts to date when our Smart Gilas team will perform starting with international competition in the Middle East this coming January, culminating in the Asian Games in Guangdong in November,” SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan said in a statement.

“These competitions are what will really count,” he added.

The issue on the SBP’s legitimacy as the basketball federation in the country was finally laid to rest by a Supreme Court ruling. This was affirmed by the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) Special Commission.

It finally put an end to its years of battle with the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP).

“It is imperative that we put this behind us, and move forward in strength and resolve. At the same time, the hard work put in by our members and constituents—from the grassroots level all the way to the international arena—is now starting to gain traction and produce some meaningful results,” said Pangilinan.

“But the most gratifying result has been one where our country has slowly regained the notice and respect of Fiba and the world basketball community.”

In an eight-month period, the Philippine men’s team jumped in the world rankings from 63 to 53, while the women’s side improved to 50th from 53rd spot.

The country’s continuous and impressive showing in the Fiba-sanctioned tournaments allowed the Philippines to improve by 2.7 points, the second-highest behind Korea (3.0) in Asia.

The men’s team, backed by the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), finished a spot better in the Fiba-Asia Men’s Championship in Tianjin, China, in August.

Coached by Yeng Guiao, the squad finished eighth, one place higher than the Chot Reyes-mentored team in 2007 in Tokushima, Japan.

The Smart Gilas squad, being handled by Serbian coach Rajko Toroman, finished fifth in the Fiba-Asia Champion’s Cup in Jakarta in June.

The women’s team of coach Heidi Ong also had a respectable fourth-place showing in the Fiba-Asia Division II Women’s Championship in Chennai, India, in September.

The youth teams also performed above expectations this year.

The Under-16 women’s squad placed seventh in the Fiba-Asia U-16 Championship in Pune, India, early this month while coach Eric Altamirano’s U-16 men’s team reached the semifinals of the Fiba-Asia U-16 tournament in November in Malaysia.

“The Philippines has been granted one of 20 slots to the first Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010 as an acknowledgement of our youth development program and good standing on Fiba,” said the SBP in a statement.

On internal matters, the SBP’s membership increased from 19 in June 2008 to 35 in November 2009.

The federation had also provided more opportunities for growth for players, referees and coaches by supplying manpower sources to the Asean Basketball League.

It also staged national youth programs like the SBP 33 and National Junior Championship qualifiers, and the accreditation of coaches and referees nationwide.

Source: BusinessMirror.com.ph