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‘SKY IS THE LIMIT’

Future of RP caging offered rich contracts

01/14/2009

By Julius Manicad

So young, and so rich.

The country’s best young players get to earn millions while getting the rare chance to play for flag and country as the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) formally offered lucrative contracts to select members of its developmental pool.

The SBP wants to cement a long-term deal with the players in what could be its first major step towards its ambitious goal to play in the 2012 London Olympics.

But SBP executive director Noli Eala clarified the deal would not collide with the cagers’ commitments with their respective schools and mother teams in the Philippine Basketball League (PBL), giving them an ultimate exposure both in local and international competitions.

He said the multi-million contract were meant to give the players “economic security.” He also clarified the contracts will not collide with players’s existing deals with their PBL teams.

They, in fact, are closely mulling a five-day invitational tournament featuring four PBL teams, the national team and three other foreign squads, to serve as the Nationals’ acid test before seeing action in the Seaba Champions Cup in May.

The SBP will be spending a total of P14 million for the first year, P24 million for the second year and P36 million for the third year to finance the staggering compensation package of 20 players in the 24-man squad in the next three years.

The young players are also entitled to lucrative training and competition allowance aside from won game bonuses that could rival what the rookies, and even seasoned veterans, in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) are receiving.

And, of course, winning a title also equates to a hefty paycheck.

“This is really ‘sky is the limit’ so to speak,” Eala yesterday said during the weekly PSA forum at the Shakey’s UN Avenue branch. “What more can you ask for? They’ve got the best of both worlds, and the players are very positive about it.”

“But we have no intention of competing with the PBL. If the PBL team owners will allow the players to continue to practice (with us) freely, then we’re okay. They can still play in the PBL if they want to, we’re just making it attractive for these players.”

First to be given contracts, which Eala said have soared to as high as P6.4 million for three-years, were Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Chris Tiu, Ryan Buenafe, JR Cawaling, Mark Barocca, RJ Jazul, Jason Ballesteros, Ogie Menor, Rey Guevarra and Marcy Arellano.

Prized amateur standouts such as Rico Maierhofer, JV Casio, Dylan Ababou and Filipino-Americans Gregory Slaughter, Joey Deas and Terrel Theophile will be formally given contracts when they attend practice on Friday.

“We already asked the boys to give their replies by Sunday,” Eala said. “But they will all be subjected to evaluation after the SEA Games. The good thing is that (our) long-term goal is now in full-swing and we hope to sustain the momentum until the Olympics.”