Ban this!
Friday, 19 November 2010 5,297 Views / 214 Comments
EVERY learning institution, whether school, college or university, is supposedly endowed with academic freedom, which, when roughly explained, entitles them to decide, subject to reasonable regulation, on what to teach (subject matter), how to teach it (method), who can teach it (faculty members) and who it will teach (students). Thus, assuming a student passes the prerequisite entrance exam of the particular learning institution and complies with other criteria for admission, he should be admitted if he so chooses to enroll, and enjoy the rights and privileges of all regular students. This may admit of certain exceptions, but generally, this is how it should be.
Thus, if a learning institution decides to admit foreign or non-Filipino students into its complement, then such students should, generally, be treated like any other student. Surely, if the requirement of the institution presupposes the student is a Filipino, then a foreign student need not comply (military training comes to mind). But, the issue at hand involves the right to play – basketball in particular, NCAA basketball, to be even more precise. Every member college (and a couple of universities) of the NCAA basketball tournament does not exclude foreign students from enrolling. Likewise, none of them disallows their foreign students from trying-out for the different athletic teams and, if found to be worthy, to compete in representation of the college, wearing the colors and college name on their uniforms.
The latest news reports claim that the NCAA is contemplating imposing a ban on foreign students of each member from competing. The vague part is whether the ban involves only basketball or all other sports. Either way, if the reports are true, then another sad day in Philippine sports is nearly upon us.
In the past, certain personalities in Philippine sports have, in the guise of advocating nationalism, objected to the presence of any type of foreigner, whether as an athlete a coach and/or an official. Local talent, they said, should be the priority. Grassroots programs should produce future superstars in different sports. It is these homegrown talents that should be tapped to play and coach sports in this country. Why should we bring in “imports”, who deprive Filipinos of slots on team rosters and opportunities at further success? The Filipino-first mentality shifted from commercial products to athletes. Leagues implemented a rule that only one (1) foreign player can be on the floor at a time (Remember the Lago brothers of DLSU in the UAAP, who were never on the floor together?). There were pros and cons, there were advocates and there were protesters. What really is the objective of these personalities? Is it noble? Is it self-serving? And how has it affected sports in our country? You be the judge.
Lately, the San Beda experiment of hulking, high-leaping foreign big men has resulted in great success. There are others that sought “foreign intervention” in the hopes of improving their teams (JRU in the NCAA, and most teams in the UAAP). Some have benefitted greatly, others, not much. Should there even be an issue of foreign students playing sports? What is the problem? Is there an undue advantage? How different is recruiting a foreign student to study at your school and to play varsity ball, from pirating the biggest, most-talented big man from the Visayas or Mindanao to play out his eligibility in Metro Manila (which every school does!)?
It is the opinion here that, rather than impose a total ban on foreign students playing in the NCAA, the league governing body should impose more stringent regulatory measures on these so-called “imports”. The scores of the foreign student in the school entrance exam should be readily and voluntarily submitted to the governing body, to prove the student indeed qualified to enroll. The student should maintain a certain grade point average, failing in which he will be ineligible to play (actually this should be for all students, but perhaps more so for foreign student-athletes). The bottom line is, if the student, whether a foreigner or a Filipino, legitimately passed the entrance exam, and is getting good grades, then he should be eligible to play. Reasonable regulations may, and perhaps should, be imposed (like the “one foreigner-at-a-time” rule above-stated, which is actually ridiculous in itself anyway), but a total ban is outrageous and ill-timed. Advocates say that the ban will lead to a “more level playing field”. The field may be more level, yes, but the level may be so low that Philippine sports as a whole will suffer.
Further, by advocating the total ban, are these advocates saying that just because a student-athlete is a foreigner, he is presumably, if not actually, better than Filipino student-athletes? We all know that is not the case. So many heralded foreign players have flopped in their NCAA or UAAP stints. There are so many questions to answer on the issue. Suspicion will abound should the governing body approve the total ban so hastily.
The shunning of foreign student-athletes is amusing, especially since, when a school wants to “improve its program”, it sends its teams abroad, to play against teams in the United States, Europe, Australia and other parts of Asia. Filipinos (except Ateneans) were thrilled that a US NCAA Division I university like Western Kentucky recruited Japeth Aguilar away from the UAAP. Lucky for Japeth the US NCAA has not banned foreign students from playing for member teams. The jury is still out on how much Japeth improved, but clearly, he was a stronger, more polished player when he returned. So many foreigners have made their mark on US NCAA Division I basketball (e.g., Australians Andrew Gaze for Seton Hall and Andrew Bogut of Utah, Lithuanian Linas Kleiza of Missouri, and then-Nigerian Hakeem Olajuwon of Houston). Schools abroad have recruited our golfers, tennis players and swimmers, and we gladly send them there. Why is there a double standard?
Tons of comments have been given on this matter, and many say that foreign players, if they are really any good, will only make the locals that much better. This should be the attitude adopted by the homegrown talents. A good local player should drool at the chance to face a heralded “import”, if only to show that he can compete with, if not outshine, the latter. Let the players showcase their talent on the court and may the best ones win, whether Filipino or foreign. Amen to that.
(13 votes, average: 4.46 out of 5)
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