MANILA – The National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) upheld its earlier decision to do away with foreign reinforcements in men’s seniors basketball starting in Season 96.
Season 96 Management Committee chairman Fr. Vic Calvo, OP of Letran, said the presence of foreign reinforcements were doing more damage than good to the development of locals players.
“Majority of the NCAA schools agreed na mas maraming negative na nadudulot ‘yung presence ng imports,” Calvo said during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum on Tuesday.
Prior to the start of Season 93, the NCAA Management Committee voted to ban the entry of foreign players from its competitions starting Season 96, a move that was approved by the Policy Board.
“Yung rule naman ng NCAA, ‘di ‘yan patay. Dynamic ‘yan. Anything can happen,” Calvo added. “Depende sa Policy Board. For example, may Policy Board (member) na gustung-gusto talaga na merong import. He can sponsor a resolution and propose it to the Policy Board at pag-usapan natin.”
He further said: “Kung babalik, pwede. Botohan naman ‘yan as a democratic association. Kung 10 ‘yan, kung may anim na boboto na ibalik yan, babalik yan. Ganoon sa NCAA.”
During Season 95, only four schools played with reinforcements in Donald Tankoua and Arnaud Noah of San Beda, Mike Nzeusseu of Lyceum, and Clement Leutcheu of St. Benilde.
“Don’t get us wrong. We would like to thank the foreign players for being able to train and teach our Filipino guys how to play against bigger and heftier foreign players and we thank them for that,” said Season 95 chairman Peter Cayco. “But as of this moment, the majority support the idea of having all-Filipino.”/PN
