A ‘hoops’ nation’s fans on Gilas Pilipinas: Stubbornly hoping

 

ARANETA COLISEUM, QUEZON CITY—Filipinos are just simply basketball-centric. The fans are just stubborn: no matter what happens to their national basketball team, they’re always concerned, hopeful. When bad circumstances come along the way, they can be angry, disgusted, skeptical.

The fans want to be always abreast with what a Philippine team and its members do: from the first practice under a new foreign coach, the McDonalds snack escape of players, the interview with a cute television reporter, the new coach’s approach, a guard’s daredevil-drive-over-a-center that’s a social media highlight reel —all revving up the hopes and dreams to a sport which a Malay race loves dearly. Basketball is Filipinos’ football.

So after a pizzazz of a crossover and back-to-the-basket shot by Terence Romeo against two tall New Zealand players during a pocket tournament here, the 5,000-plus crowd went wild. It was a thrilling moment, with the Philippines down by double digits and national team newbie Romeo bringing his team to a comeback win. It is once again that “heart” (puso) moment, the modern-day tag to the Filipino hoops devotion.

Terrence Romeo of Global Port now leads not just the current Philippine basketball team aiming at a slot for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics but a future for a country's national basketball program whose global progress, at the moment, is uncertain (photo from Smart Gilas Basketball's Facebook page)

Terrence Romeo of Global Port now leads not just the current Philippine basketball team aiming at a slot for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics but a future for a country’s national basketball program whose global progress, at the moment, is uncertain (photo from Smart Gilas Basketball’s Facebook page)

Sports is a passion-filled human endeavor. But when the game is over, numbers flashed on a scoreboard —a final game’s results— are emotionless. The result leaves an aftershock unto a team: a win or a loss reveals how a team progresses its skills and levels of play, especially if the gauge is global.

For the Philippines in basketball, the global progress is uncertain. One time it’s up, then it tumbles down, then the nation is having a hard time back up again.

The global progress reached a high in that first Philippine foray (after nearly a generation) at the World Cup. Three close losses over highly-ranked European and Latin American teams, and an overtime escape of Senegal marked a memorable 2014 FIBA World Cup first-round sortie in Sevilla, Spain, with Filipino hoops fans growling their nationalistic fervor to the world’s delight.

Automatically, judging from the “success” story in Sevilla, the Philippines can easily be a contender in Asia (especially after almost leaving world number 3 Argentina crying).

Weeks after Spain, disaster struck at the 2014 Asian Games in Korea. Losses to South Korea and Iran led to the downhill seventh-place finish. Afterwards, the immediate future of the Philippines in the international arena suddenly left behind hanging questions.

Coaching transitions had been quick: from Rajko Toroman (third place, 2011 FIBA Asia) to Chot Reyes (second, 2013 FIBA Asia and 21st, 2014 FIBA World Cup) to Tab Baldwin in today’s continental tournament, the FIBA Asia Championships (in Changsha, China). There again goes the cycle of hoping for —and hyping of— our national team.

However, a premier basketball league’s commitment to the national cause impacted on the national basketball program’s FIBA Asia preparations. Spain 2014 and a dream won game there —that which a nation waited for nearly a generation— did not hit a nerve, or it barely did, to solidify a long-term commitment to national basketball.

Heading to Changsha, the “miraculous” Spain World Cup team is left with just a few of them: five of the 12 (a naturalized American, two natural born Filipinos, a Fil-American and a Fil-French). Some oldies (a 42-year-old enter and a 38-year-old deadshot, plus a 34-year-old returning power forward) had to be called, while four newcomers signal in a new cycle of talent for the country’s basketball squad.

No doubt, the Filipino basketball pool is rich, and Spain 2014 broke myths that Filipinos can play heads up against many of the foreign stars of global basketball. Filipino cagers are Asia’s version of flashy-playing American players, sans the height and the extra-human athleticism. So the paint players banging bodies on defense and the guards and wingmen doing the dribble-drive or burying outside heaves keep the Philippines in good stead, which happened in Spain. Gilas 2015 in Changsha is not even the best-assembled Philippine team.

Then again, one cannot be sure if the Philippine team is progressing, or is keeping its cards for tougher matches, or is trying to save what available talent pool the national program has in international play. What fans are sure of is that whoever makes it to the national team, the style of play and talent can (hopefully) bring the country far.

What are the fans unsure of? If the breaks go the way of the Philippines every game (especially during crucial games). If a basketball game, in general, can break predictability, like China always dominating Asia until Iran came along, or a Philippine team unable to sustain big leads until the final buzzer.

Prior to FIBA Asia 2013 in Manila and the FIBA World Cup 2014, heartbreaks whack hopes of a Philippine cage success internationally. In the Manila FIBA Asia, brave heart spirit prevailed. More so in Spain.

And yet the downfall at the Incheon Asiad. The months of desperation to get the best players from their mother professional teams. The losses in a pocket tournament in Estonia over lesser-known European teams. Though, a silver medal in the Jones Cup came even as Iran and a less-strong Korea squad beat the Philippines. Then followed up by dominating the final tune-up, a pocket tournament here at the Araneta Coliseum, that is said to be is for the team’s fine-tuning.

The Philippine progress in world basketball is unsure. To be frank, even if the Philippines is seeded third in Changsha (an Olympic qualifying tournament for the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games), the Southeast Asian powerhouse is unsure of making it back to the Olympiad after 44 years.

But to be frank also, the quest for the Olympic berth does not end in Changsha. If the Philippines places at least third in China, the Olympic journey continues in July 2016 as identified top placers in FIBA’s continental championships clash in three Olympic qualifying tournaments to determine the last three qualifiers for Rio (the winners of those three qualifying tournaments).

So it could be the Philippines —should it place third or second— versus Angola, Tunisia, Senegal, Canada, Mexico, Puerto Rico, France, Serbia, Greece, Czech Republic, Italy or New Zealand in one of three assigned qualifying tournaments next year. It is easier to qualify for Rio in Changsha. But even if we do not win gold in Changsha and we get in to the tougher competition in July 2016, it is a sign of progress.

That will perk up Filipino fans’ hopes.

The fans have never stopped hoping for the best all these years. One gentleman screeched his lungs out at the upper box of the Araneta Coliseum chanting “defense!” almost all game long against Chinese-Taipei in the pocket tournament. Another, a muscled man toting a blue Pilipinas shirt, then screamed like Tarzan during timeouts while his two hands taunted for fan support.

 

Laban Pilipinas!” “Puso!”

Laban Pilipinas! “Puso!”

Laaaa-baaan Pili-piiiiii-nas!” “Puso!!!”

 

Philippine cage fans can only hope their national basketball team, whose progress in international play is back to uncertain levels these past months, will not disappoint those shouting fans at one side of the Araneta Coliseum and the millions more who will scream their hearts out worldwide. Stretching the Olympic campaign up to July 2016 will extend that hope, and fans can only wish their celebrated Gilas Pilipinas will have the heart to be a more powerful force —this time, with consistency— in global basketball.

 

 

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About Jeremaiah Opiniano