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Thursday, December 30, 2004
Oyson: Fil-Ams to level playing field?
By Manuel N. Oyson, Jr.
Counter Punch
WOULD you believe that out of 12 prospective players to represent the national basketball team that will represent the Philippines in an international meet in Doha next year, five are foreigners? Of course the list is not yet final as the selection was based merely on a random survey undertaken by PBA coaches, team managers, sportswriters, and even broadcasters. Do you recall that of the ill-fated RP quintet we sent to do battle in the Asian Games in Busan on October 2002, seven were foreigners?
The announced survey is just that: a survey. Nothing is final until the final selection is made by a panel of basketball experts that may include experts from the PBA and BAP, including the coach of the national team himself. The team is supposed to represent the Filipinos in the Fiba-Asia Championships in Doha, Qatar. But this early, I am alarmed that some still entertain the idea that Fil-foreigners are a must for a national squad in any international competition.
LEVELLING. Or for that matter, a necessity to level the playing field against teams from China, South Korea, Japan or the former socialist republics of Russia who may be allowed to compete in the Fiba-Asia loop. We have not gotten over the mistaken belief that the Philippines, with the help of Fil-foreigners, can still be lords of the basketball court in the Asian hemisphere. We have forgotten too soon that in Busan, we landed only in fourth place despite the presence of the seven Fil-Ams.
The initial survey carried by a pool of basketball experts reportedly mentioned the following as the top 12 vote-getters out of a field of 34 listed. In the order of the number of votes they received, those who would compose the team are Willie Miller, Eric Menk, Nic Belasco, Danny Seigle, Rommel Adducul, Tony de la Cruz, Jay-Jay Hilterbrand, Jimmy Alapag, Ren-Ren Ritualo, Dennis Espino, Enrico Villanueva and Yancy de Ocampo. The tallest of them is de Ocampo at 6-foot-8, while Alapag is the smallest at 5-9.
UNENVIABLE. The list is not yet official and not sanctioned by the PBA itself. It is the national coach himself who will announce the final selection. Even up to this time, not even the national coach has been appointed by PBA commissioner Noli Eala. He says he will do so only on of Jan. 4. Five are reportedly in contention for the post, including 1998 Centennial Team coach Tim Cone.
Whoever be Eala’s choice will have the unenviable task of fulfilling the country’s hopes for a good showing in the Fiba-Asia Championships in Doha, the World Championships in Saitama, Japan in 2006, and even the Olympic Games in Beijing in 2008. But before making it to the Beijing Games, the Filipino would have to hurdle the qualifying heats in the ABC, frantically bid for by Manila next year, or the World tournament itself. Asia would be represented by three nations in Saitama, including the host.
ALL-FILIPINO. My only objection to the presence of Fil-Ams in a proposed national team of for any international endeavor is that we are not even sure if by their presence, victory is assured. Or even a second place finish. But if the team is only good for third, fourth or fifth place, we may just as well dispatch a team of full-blooded Pinoys. In that way, there would be no gnashing of teeth out of frustration for a victory that could not be won despite the presence of imports. Our pride and dignity would remain intact.
I doubt if the national teams to be formed would even be intact until Beijing 2008. The Fil-Ams may just get tired of the PBA within the next four years and opt to move elsewhere unless they have already established permanent roots in the country. Let us pick a truly All-Filipino selection for the international basketball tournaments that we have committed ourselves to. Winning with the presence of half-baked Filipinos in the line-up is not even a sure thing. We may as well go for the local breed.
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “He has a clear vision on what to do in the next four years.” – PBA Commissioner Noli Eala, on the still-unnamed next national basketball coach
(mno@sunstar.com.ph)
(December 30, 2004 issue)
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