By Maxine Louise Lagman
The Games and Amusements Board (GAB) formally announced the recognition and granting of professional license to the Women’s National Basketball League (WNBL) in a virtual press conference on Wednesday, Aug. 26.
Now, aspiring and current Filipina basketball players to play in a professional league. “Today is the day for our WNBL players, the women players who’ve been dreaming of playing in a professional league,” said National Basketball League (NBL) executive vice president Rhose Montreal.
“Basketball is not just only for males. Because of what happened today, I think NBL is also advocating gender equality,” said GAB chairman Baham Mitra, who also announced the pro status of the NBL-Pilipinas.
NBL and WNBL now ranks with the Philippine Basketball Association and Chooks-to-Go 3×3 as pro leagues in the country, but NBL officials clarified the new pro leagues will not compete with the others. NBL/WNBL’s format is only mandated to homegrown talents from their respective province, city, or municipality.
“We want to co-exist with the PBA, peacefully. We want to be a complimentary league, in fact, to the PBA and other leagues,” Montreal added.
WNBL held its first season in 2019 with Philippine Air Force defeating Taguig for the title. On the other hand, NBL was launched in 2018 and played two seasons with Paranaque Aces and Taguig Generals claiming championship titles.
WNBL currently have seven teams, including Gilas Pilipinas Women members Afril Bernardino, Gemma Miranda, Janine Pontejos, and Snow Penaranda.
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