2025 SEA Games basketball to follow FIBA eligibility rules, says SBP

The Southeast Asian Games basketball tournament will be quite different this year, especially when it comes to the players who will represent their respective countries.

According to Samahang Basketbol ng Plipinas executive director Erika Dy, host country Thailand will follow FIBA eligibility rules for the biennial meet, which includes a provision on including only one naturalized player in the lineup.

"For the SEA Games, it's going to be tough especially because we received the circular last week from the host and they will be strict on FIBA rules. So this means unlike past SEA Games where we can have an Ange Kouame and Justin Brownlee in the same team, that's no longer going to happen," Dy said last Friday on the sidelines of the SBP National Congress.

"But yeah, we have been discussing it a lot. We have no concrete plans yet. There's a lot of suggestions and kailangan lang talaga pag-aralan ng mabuti ano 'yung best way to form a more formidable team for the SEA Games."

Previously, SEA Games basketball has less stricter eligibility rules compared to FIBA tournaments. Before, passports were already enough for eligibility, while teams can also field multiple naturalized players.

On top of that, the SEA Games which is scheduled on December 2025, will coincide with the collegiate tournaments such as the UAAP and NCAA.

"Yes, that's another challenge for us. Because in the past, UAAP would start in July and end in September. And then you would have the best players from the UAAP and the NCAA play in the SEA Games. But that is a challenge now because both leagues end in December. They start later in the year," Dy said.

Players in the Japan B.League and Korean Basketball League, meanwhile, will need to get permissions from their ball clubs as the SEA Games do not fall in a FIBA window.

Despite the possible challenges, Dy remains optimistic that the basketball body will be able to resolve the dilemma.

"Mahirap talaga siya. Pero I'm confident na magagawa natin yung paraan especially with stakeholder meetings like this where we put all our heads together and we put our personal interests aside for the country."

The Thailand SEA Games will be held on December 9 to 20.

—JKC, GMA Integrated News