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Ric Maulion

THE Philippines was once a powerhouse of basketball in Southeast Asia. We were 5th place in 1936 Summer Olympics. A similar feat was improved  many years later when we landed as a bronze medalist in 1954 Fiba World Championship, the best ever finish by any team outside America and Europe. Bannered by the great Big Difference Carlos Loyzaga, et al., we defeated other competitive ball clubs of top caliber except the US which eventually won the gold medal. For the Asian Championships and Games, we harvested nine golds, eight silvers and three bronzes from 1960 to 1998.

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That we fielded an All-Filipino and won the Asian Basketball Conference is a testament of the innate competitive individual talent.  We did just that in early ’70s with Jaworski, Fernandez, Guidaben, Philip Cesar, Reynoso, Mariano, Paner, Atoy Co, et al., calling the shots for the country. We also ruled the Jones Cup several times. This writer remembers Northern Consolidated mentored by  Ron Jacobs winning the championship. But here’s the catch: the players were mostly “imported” and only Skywalker Samboy Lim and three-point specialist Allan Caidic  and few other Filipino players were incorporated in the team. Personally, I don’t think it was worth celebrating given the top-heavy foreigners playing for the country in that league.

Our team was not the same thereafter though getting some setbacks. We would regain however  the Jones Cup Championship later with Teniente Tenorio burying that three-pointer at the buzzer against the US Team. But this is all what we learned as our Gilas Pilipinas got dismal performance from Fiba when they played against Iran, South Korea and China.

Our Gilas Pilipinas Team rarely made it to the quarter finals. They were either eliminated or clobbered in their bracket. Good for Elite  Team A. At least, they have performed well in Fiba, winning a few games. But sad to tell for Gilas Cadets Team B folding in the homestretch.

Same for Alab Pilipinas Team. Investment for the team didn’t really pay off.  The reason is obvious: team members, except for Bobby Parks Jr. and Phenom Keiffer Ravena, were top heavy with bench warmers. Why and where are all our athletic, competitive and talented basketball players? Why is this Team is sometimes fielded with new UAAP players and not professional players from PBA? How would  we regain our lost glory in basketball if business interests come ahead of the call to serve the country? What does  “Pilipinas” stand for if we cannot give the best and talented players?

San Miguel Corp.’s policy of holding on to their one-player policy loan for Gilas should be amended to protect country’s interest before their company’s concern! That, if CEO Manny Pangilinan is serious in helping our basketball team.

 Walang magagaling na naiiwan maglaro, griped  an avid Gilas Pilipinas supporter in revealing that partial one-player policy of Pangilinan’s SMC. Give the all-out support  to the national basketball team instead of protecting their a company’s interests!

On a positive note, Ronald Mascariñas, president of Bounty Agro Ventures Inc., did just that. Beaming with optimism, he said we could make it if we work for the common good, and if “we put all our resources behind the national basketball…” This could be it.  Why won’t Pangilinan do the same and not just support but wholeheartedly participate in the Gilas Pilipinas entry into Fiba 2019 if he really means business?

Thus far, the line-up of 12 has yet to be finalized from 24 wannabees. Gilas would be playing against Japan on Nov. 24th for the 2019 Fiba qualifiers. I hope it would be a competitive team that’s oozing with talent. So far, 16 have already  been identified and possibly the four unwanted members would be dropped a day or two after today.

Romeo and Almazan are definitely out because of injuries. Andray Blatche is planning to bring a broom to sweep Japan out of contention.

Chinese Taipei would be next.

Why can’t they beat them given their homecourt advantage? Gilas means prowess from puso. That is explainable.

We can do it. Go, go, go, Gilas Pilipinas!

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