MANILA – Two more basketball leagues are set to go fully pro.
The regional National Basketball League (NBL) and its female counterpart, the Women's National Basketball League (WNBL), have made their intent to be under the sanction of the Games and Amusements Board (GAB) known.
GAB Chairman Baham Mitra confirmed the development of the Philippine News Agency (PNA) on Tuesday.
"We have already met and they (have) submitted their application to GAB already," Mitra said.
Once formalized, it would be a major boost for women's basketball, especially after the Gilas Pilipinas women's team won the gold in last year's Southeast Asian Games.
Formed last year, the WNBL became the closest thing the Philippines can get to a professional women's basketball league, bringing in seven teams – four being the female squads of NBL clubs and three independent teams.
The Air Force won the inaugural championship.
Meanwhile, the NBL lives up to its billing as "The Home of Real Homegrown Players", currently having eight clubs with the players from each team born and raised in the city or province they represent.
Once formalized, the NBL would become the second active professional men's basketball league in the Philippines, alongside the Philippine Basketball Association, and the third overall, with the inclusion of another regional league, the Metropolitan Basketball Association, which only ran for five seasons from 1998 to 2002. (PNA)
