Jailed basketball official not giving up fight vs SBP

Detained cage official Graham Lim is not done fighting for the legitimacy of the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP), which has been eased out by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) as the country's governing body for basketball. “I’m not about to give up the fight," Lim told GMANews.TV. “The BAP will still continue to exist and will still pursue its regional activities. Once I’ll be able to get out of this cell, we will push through with our projects."

Lim has been detained at the Camp Bagong Diwa Detention Center in Taguig for the last three weeks by virtue of a warrant for deportation issued against him by the Bureau of Immigration. The controversial BAP secretary-general has been tagged as an alien passing himself off as Filipino. Looking trim and appearing to be lacking in sleep, Lim celebrated Christmas for the first time away from his family and inside the lonely four corners of his cell. “Malungkot dito siyempre. Unang-una, ngayon lang ako nakaranas ng ganito, Pasko na malayo sa pamilya and nakakulong," Lim said. Despite being detained, Lim remains optimistic the Court of Arbitration in Sports (CAS) will make a favorable ruling in the BAP's case against the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). The FIBA has recognized the SBP headed by Manny V. Pangilinan as the new governing body in the Philippines after the BAP reportedly failed to attend the special hearing and meeting set by the FIBA Central Board in Switzerland early this year, a move that Lim claimed was “manipulated." “Soon, early next year, the CAS will come up with its ruling," said Lim. “FIBA has a lot of explaining to do in the CAS, including the Philippines’ illegal suspension in 2005 because it was only Patrick Baumann, the secretary general of FIBA, who has decided on the matter. It should be decided by the Central Board and not him alone." As far as his condition is concerned, Lim believes he was a victim of unfair acts. “I was a victim of injustice. They cannot deport me, so I was detained. That’s not right," Lim said, insisting he was born in the Philippines to a Chinese father and a mother from Tuguegarao. - GMANews.TV