SOUTH AFRICA pulled out on the last minute from the William R. Jones Cup basketball tournament which opens next week in Chinese Taipei.

The Chinese Taipei Basketball Association (CTBA) announced on Wednesday that the South Africans are withdrawing from the annual tournament, reducing the number of teams to nine in the men’s division and four in the women’s side.

South Africa’s withdrawal made the Jones Cup an all-Asian tournament.

According to tournament organizer CTBA, South Africa refused to shoulder the airfare for its men’s and women’s teams. The CTBA shoulders the hotel accommodation and meals of the participating teams but not their air fare.

Eight nations are on the roster, but the field is composed of nine teams because the hosts are fielding two squads. They are defending champion Jordan, Iran, Lebanon, the Philippines, Kazakhstan, Japan, South Korea and the two Taiwanese squads.

Taiwan, South Korea, Japan and Malaysia are entered in the women’s tournament.

The CTBA will revise the schedule of the event that will start on July 18 at the Sinjhuang Stadium in Taipei.

Most of the countries, including the Philippines, are fielding their national teams in the Jones Cup. They are gearing up for the International Basketball Federation (Fiba)-Asia Men’s Championship in Tianjin, China, from August 6 to 16.

The Filipinos, backed by Powerade, will face Jordan on opening day and were supposed to battle the South Africans on July 24.

The Jones Cup was first staged in 1977. US teams have won the event 15 times, including the first two editions.

The Philippines, then represented by Northern Cement, won it in 1981 before San Miguel Beer bagged the trophy in 1985. The Philippine Centennial Team in 1998 was the last Filipino squad to win the Jones Cup.