FILBASKET, a fledgling amateur basketball league, plans to open its inaugural season next week in a bubble tournament at Splendido in Laurel, Batangas.

However, the league did not have clearance from the Inter-Agency Task Force for the Management of Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF), the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) and the Philippine Sports Commission (PSC). Instead, FilBasket coordinated directly with the local government unit (LGU).

GAB chairman Abraham “Baham” Mitra said FilBasket did not apply for a professional status, therefore, GAB has no jurisdiction over the league.

The league is not part of the national basketball program, that is why the PSC has no authority over the league.

Mitra said he is not against the establishment of the league, but in the time of pandemic, safety and health of everyone is the primary concern.

“We understand that this is a livelihood, but we need to follow the IATF, which said that only professional leagues and training for the national team shall be allowed,” said Mitra at the TOPS Usapang Sports online on Thursday.

“That is the stand of GAB and we wish them well. If they wish to coordinate with an LGU, that’s up to them.”

But if FilBasket decides to turn pro, Mitra said, the GAB would give assistance to the league like what it is doing to the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) and other professional sports tournaments.

“The door is open for the Games and Amusements Board to make them a professional league and to work with them,” said Mitra.

FilBasket, which describes itself as a league that “aims to improve the basketball industry in the Philippines by providing a stable, long term, and exclusive platform for the fans and players,” wanted to remain amateur to accommodate collegiate players from the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) and the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

However, former and current pro players from other leagues are also in the lineup of teams in FilBasket.

Also, Mitra said it would set an unwelcome precedent if the league is allowed to stage a tournament.

“I was telling them that if you guys will be given a go signal, then the inter-municipal or inter-barangay (village) leagues will also just ask permission from the LGU and will be given a green light too, then, what stops the UAAP and the NCAA to just go the LGU and not go to the IATF anymore,” said Mitra.

According to FilBasket, its inaugural tournament is composed of 12 teams.