Sol Mercado’s RP5 slot depends on Asiad body

Sol Mercado

SOLOMON Mercado, the third Philippine Basketball Association player being eyed by the Samahang Basketbol Ng Pilipinas to play for the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas national basketball team in the Asian Games, needs to be accredited by Asiad organizers before he can officially join the team.

 

Philippine Olympic Commission screening committee member Moying Martelino said yesterday that they will include Mercado’s name in the team roster and hope that that Asian Games organizers approve their recommendation.
 
‘’His (Mercado) inclusion in the national basketball team will depend on the decision of the Asian Games Committee,’’ said POC screening committee member Moying Martelino.
 
Mercado had earlier been given the go signal by both the Philippine Basketball Association Board and his mother team Rain or Shine to join the RP squad.
 
Mercado will replace two-time Most Valuable Player James Yap, who begged off from joining due to personal and professional reasons.
Asi Taulava and Kelly Williams were already included in the 12-man line-up submitted by the SBP last Tuesday.
The three loaned PBA players will practice with Smart-Gilas once a week in October and then everyday two weeks prior to the Asian Games.
 
Meanwhile, Taulava’s transfer to Meralco via a trade was questioned by PBA Commissioner Chito Salud, who said the deal, which involved three PBA teams, was “quite lopsided.”
 
Salud also asked the three teams – Powerade, Meralco and Barako Bull – to revise the entire process to ensure parity among the three teams.
 
In compliance with the Commissioner’s directive, the three teams made some changes, but basically stuck to its original intent to send Taulava to Meralco.
 
The revised version of the trade will still send Taulava to Meralco, Barako Bull still gets Ken Bono and Jason Misolas, plus Khasim Mirza, while Powerade will get both the Bolts’ 2011 and 2012 second-round picks in addition to Ryan Reyes. Jeric Lopez