THE SAMAHANG Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP), the country’s governing body for basketball, has elected UST alumnus Ricky Vargas as its new president following the addition of four extra members on the board of trustees.
Vargas, 73, a graduate of Psychology from the UST College of Science, serves as the chairman of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Board of Governors since 2017.
He is also representing the TNT Tropang 5G as governor.
Vargas succeeds Al Panlilio — who led the SBP for two terms — as he sits as a member of the FIBA Central Board.
Under Vargas’ leadership, the SBP aims to sustain the momentum of Philippine basketball following the successful co-hosting of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, along with the country’s gold medal finish in the 2023 Southeast Asian Games.
Among those elected to the new SBP board are Special Assistant to the Rector for Basketball Alfrancis Chua and UAAP Board of Managing Directors member Bo Perasol.
Aside from his role in basketball, Vargas also serves as the president of the Association of Boxing Alliances in the Philippines (ABAP). F
