Philippine basketball officials have not given up hope for a FIBA Asia stint for Filipino-American players Marcio Lassiter and Chris Lutz.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas has sent to FIBA additional documents to prove the eligibility of the two SMART Gilas Pilipinas national team stalwarts, who have been barred from competing in the Olympic qualifier tournament in Wuhan, China because of issues raised about their citizenship.

SBP deputy executive director Bernie Atienza told InterAKTV that the basketball governing body is now reviewing the papers.

“We are awaiting the ruling,” wrote Atienza in a text message. “Rest assured that our president Manny V. Pangilinan and the entire staff of the SBP sent sufficient and substantial documents to FIBA to argue the case of Lassiter and Lutz.”

Prior to the Philippine team’s game against China on Friday evening, Pangilinan met with FIBA Asia deputy secretary-general Hagop Khajirian to discuss the status of the two wingmen. But neither Lutz nor Lassiter were allowed to play in the team’s matches against China and Bahrain. The duo also missed the SMART-Gilas opener against United Arab Emirates.

Chot Reyes, a member of the SMART-Gilas coaching staff, meanwhile said that they are aiming for the return of the two players later in the competition.

“We’re still trying our best to have the two to play, if not for the first round, at least sa second round,” he wrote on his Twitter account.

Thanks PBA for the Image

source: Reynaldo Belen, InterAKTV