[Gilas] Antibes pocket tourney is Filipino cagers’ toughest thus far

 

The toughest one prior to Antibes 2014 was a pocket tournament in Sondrio, Italy in 2002

 

 

MANILA—The quadrennial Asian Games, the annual Jones Cup in Taiwan, the FIBA Asia tournaments, or even the occasional tournaments organized by the PBA weren’t the toughest tournaments the Philippine basketball team had participated in.

Later (at 2:30 a.m. Manila time), a pocket tournament called the 2014 Antibes International Basketball Tournament will commence, thus becoming the most challenging tournament a Philippine basketball team has participated in. Of course, weeks after the said tournament in the French town of Antibes (southeastern part of France), the FIBA World Cup in Spain becomes the highest-level tournament the Philippines has played in 38 years.

The Philippines will compete against new FIBA Europe champion France, FIBA Oceania titlist Australia and Ukraine in this pocket tournament. A member-country of the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) can organize pocket tournaments to prep up their teams set to compete either in the FIBA World Cup, the Olympic Games or the biennial regional FIBA tournaments.

This 2002 Philippine team to the 2002 Asian Games competed in a pocket tournament in Sondrio, Italy in June that year. It is said to be the toughest international tournament the Philippines had played, prior to playing now in a pocket tournament in Antibes, France. Gilas Pilipinas is seeing action in the FIBA World Cup in Spain (photo from Pinoy Exchange).

This 2002 Philippine team to the 2002 Asian Games competed in a pocket tournament in Sondrio, Italy in June that year. It is said to be the toughest international tournament the Philippines had played, prior to playing now in a pocket tournament in Antibes, France. Gilas Pilipinas is seeing action in the FIBA World Cup in Spain (photo from Pinoy Exchange).

But 12 years ago, a Philippine team then supported by Selecta (i.e. the RFM Corporation of the Concepcion clan) prepared for the 2002 Busan (Korea) Asian Games by participating in a four-nation pocket tournament held at the Palaschiegi Gym in Sondrio, Italy. From the Philippine side, this pocket tournament was called the RP-Selecta Euro Challenge.

The Sondrio team had Asi Taulava, brothers Andy and Danny Siegle, captain Kenneth Duremdes, Dennis Espino, Erik Menk, Olsen Racela, Jeffrey Cariaso, Mick Pennisi, Rudy Hatfield, Chris Jackson, Boyet Fernandez and Dondon Hontiveros.

Prior to the tournament in Sondrio, the Philippines played an exhibition against Italy’s national team. The result? 99-56 for the Italians. News reports said that this 43-point shellacking unto the Philippine team is the first competitive game of the players.

The Philippines had a rematch with Italy to start off the Sondrio tournament. Obviously, then coach Jong Uichico had made some coaching adjustments and the Philippines even erected a 13-point lead over the Italians, bronze medalists in the 2000 Sydney Olympic Games.

When the Philippines led 21-14, then Italian coach Carlo Recalcati called his first time out (he did not call a timeout during the blowout exhibition match). The Filipinos even led 27-14 but they got stuck at 27 because veteran Alex Righetti sparked a 14-0 run to give the Italians the lead, 28-27. And while the Philippines led at halftime, 33-30, Italy uncorked a 13-0 blast and the game was far from the Filipinos’ reach. Compounding the woes of the Philippines in the second half was a woeful 21 percent field goal shooting, while the Filipinos gave away 21 freethrows in the second half.

Next was Ukraine, and again the Philippines lost, 79-54, amid leading briefly to start off the game. After Latvia led 45-38 at the half, the Filipinos got stolen on their ball possessions nine times and committed 11 turnovers.  As a story by Quinito Henson of the Philippine Star headlined, “RP loses steam, bows to Latvia.”

Uichico took the blame for the loss, while assistant coach Allan Caidic said “We got tired.” Anyway, the pocket tournament is a learning experience.

But the surprise came on the final game: the Philippines, then ranked in the 60th and below places worldwide, upset Ukraine in a thrilling game, 100-98. The Philippines led 97-95 with 9.4 secs. left, until Danny Siegle made two foul shots for a 99-95 spread. Then top Ukranian gunner Alexander Rayevsky almost single-handedly led the comeback, even converting a triple for 99-98. Olsen Racela then split his freethrows and Ukraine’s Yvacheslav Yevstratentko failed to convert a mid-court heave as time expired.

This upset impressed upon Uichico that the RP-Selecta team is “slowly adjusting” to the international style. “We (have realized) our deficiencies and we know what to work on for the Asian Games,” Uichico said.

The Busan Asian Games will be remembered as bittersweet for the Philippines: a buzzer-beating triple by Korean Lee Sang Min in the semifinal round cost the Philippines the game and a shot at the gold medal against China. Seconds prior to that shot, the Philippines was even leading until freethrows were missed.

Some 11 years later, at the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships in Manila, the Korean curse was broken when the Philippines upset FIBA World Cup veterans Korea and qualified for the Worlds in Spain.

And while a Philippine team had won the 2012 Jones Cup, the quality of the opposition is tougher in Sondrio. Today until Sunday in Antibes, France, it’ll be tougher especially versus France and Australia.

Last year, the Philippines played an exhibition against FIBA World Cup veterans New Zealand and lost by a point. That exhibition was the best tune-up for the country prior to the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships.

Playing against tougher, more experienced teams has helped make China and unstoppable Asian titlists Iran improve on their skills and get points for higher rankings in FIBA. After Iran topped the recent FIBA Asia Cup in Wuhan, China with a squad mostly filled with team B players,  the Iranian squad for Spain competed in a pocket tournament called the Torun Basket Cup.

Sweden beat Iran in the opener, 75-58, but the Iranians got their bearings back and beat Portugal, 69-55. Then the Asian champions lost to tournament host Poland, 83-70 and placed third.

Iranian coach Mehmet Becirovic, as quoted in a Polish basketball website, is satisfied with his team’s performance in the Torun Basket Cup, even if Iran’s opponents are not playing in the FIBA World Cup in Spain.

The Philippines is bracketed in Group B in Spain, along with European powerhouses Croatia and Greece, former Olympic champions Argentina, Puerto Rico and Senegal.

The Philippines, during the mid-2000s, got suspended by FIBA owing to leadership disputes in the governing national body for basketball —leading to the formation of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP). The country went back to joining the FIBA Asia Championships in 2007.

About Jeremaiah Opiniano