THE Guangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee (Gagoc) has assured the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) that the accreditation papers of basketball players Solomon Mercado and Chris Lutz are being processed.

Nevertheless, Moying Martelino, who will head the Team Philippines secretariat in Guangzhou, said they will make sure the accreditation papers of the two cagers are No. 1 on their list when he and 10 others on the administrative staff fly ahead to Guangzhou on Sunday.

The POC has already received from Gagoc the pre-valid identification cards of the members of Team Philippines and are ready for distribution before the sendoff ceremony at the PhilSports in Pasig City on Friday. Lutz and Mercado were late additions on Team Philippines.

Martelino, however, also advised the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to get Chinese visas for the two players—just in case Gagoc doesn’t live up to its promise.

The men’s basketball team Smart Gilas will fly to Guangzhou on November 9 and will play tune-up games against the Guangdong Tigers and Dongguan Century Leopards of the Chinese Basketball Association.

Besides Lutz and Mercado, Martelino said four technical officials and as many national sports association officials also do not have pre-valid ID cards.

Joel Orellana, Business Mirror