Philippine Basketball Association commissioner Sonny Barrios is giving Fil-foreign applicants for the Annual Draft until Aug 16 to comply with eligibility requirements.
Applicants who fail to complete the requirements at the close of office hours of the new deadline will be scratch from the list of candidates for the Rookie Draft set on Aug. 29 at the Market! Market! Place in Taguig City.
This is the third time the Office of the Commissioner has move the deadline to give Fil-foreign applicants sufficient time to obtain important documents required from them.
Originally the deadline for Fil-foreign applicants was last July 14.
Included in the list of requirements that has to be submitted by Fil-foreign aspirants are certificate of recognition from the Bureau of Immigration and DOJ affirmation of citizenship from the justice department.
The two departments underwent re-organization recently so understandably securing documents from these departments will take quite sometime.
To date 20 aspirants with dual citizenship have applied for the Draft led by 26-year old forward Josh Thomas Vanlandingham, a great grandson of Filipino Olympic medalist, the late swimming great Teofilo Yldefonso.
But so far, only three have completed the requirements. They are Vanlandingham, 6-foot-4 guard Sean Michael Dee and Hyram Bagatsing, also a 6-1 guard from De La Salle.
“Only Fil-foreign applicants with complete documents by Aug. 16 will be eligible for the Annual Draft. Those who fail to meet the requirements will be dropped from the list,” Barrios said.
Incidentally, Aug. 16 is also the deadline for local players interested to join the PBA.
As of 12 noon Friday, the PBA has received 51 applications, 31 of them local players.
Interestingly, three members of Smart-Gilas Pilipinas have made themselves available for the Annual Draft. They are Rey Francis Guevarra, high-scoring Letran guard Rafael Joey Jazul and Rabeh Ahmed-Al Hussaini.
Other notable locals joining the Draft are former UST Tigers Khazim Mirza and Chester Taylor, Riego Meinardo Villa Gamalinda, a key player in San Beda’s string of NCAA championships, pesky Robert Labagala of University of the East.
All official candidates for the Draft will undergo a week-long rookie camp set from Aug. 20-26.(pr)
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