http://www.businessmirror.com.ph/home/sports/10342-rp-five-draws-rave-reviews-in-fiba-asia.html
Smart Gilas RP draws rave reviews in FIBA Asia
by rick olivares
Suriani Mappong is a journalist wit Antara Indonesia. She normally writes about local politics, lifestyle, and the latest happenings in her country. But she was surprised when she was asked to write on the 20th FIBA Asia Champions Challenge Cup that features 10 teams from the region.
But on the second day of the competition, she spent a couple of hours penning a piece on the Smart Gilas RP Men’s Basketball Team that she missed the next match between Sangmoo Korea and Al Riyadi Lebanon.
When asked why she took her time with the Philippine team, she smiled, thought for a moment to measure her words, then: “They are exciting and fun to watch.”
Her article’s headline – “Philippine Smart Gilas: the Team of the Future.”
Yang Hee Jong, one of Sangmoo Korea’s sweet shooting forwards, was watching the Philippines continue to attack in the face of a conquest by Iran when he said afterwards, “Philippines is good. I want to play them again. They know basketball.”
Fouad Abou Chakra is the coach of Al Riyadi Lebanon, the current Pan Arab Champions. He was relieved that his team beat Korea for its second win in as many days. “It’s a good thing we won because we have two very tough games ahead of us – Iran and the Philippines.”
Iran represented by Mahram, the current West Asian Basketball Champions (they beat Zain Jordan which is also competing in the Champions Cup), has five players on its national squad and is backstopped by two very powerful American imports – former Denver Nugget Priest Lauderdale who stands at an imposing 7’2” and the high-leaping former Phoenix Sun Jackson Vroman. And the Tehran ballclub has enjoyed a healthy rivalry with Al Riyadi as well.
In Lebanon’s first match, a convincing 87-78 win versus Kuwait Qadsia, import Chris Johnson hurt his knee in a collision with a Kuwaiti. Early in their 97-86 win against Korea, team captain Fadi El Khatib went down with a back injury knocking him out of their immediate game versus Iran.
“We just got back from a hard won championship in Lebanon and had a long 22-hour flight to Indonesia so our players are tired,” offered Chakra. “But I make no excuses. We will not give any gifts to Iran or the Philippines. Johnson might play against the Iranians but they have a size advantage so we hope to run. Against the Philippines, we will go tall.”
“The Philippines… very good and very talented. I like them because they are exciting and they never give up. They play the full 40 minutes.”
“You know there are maybe four countries in the world where basketball is the most popular sport: Lithuania, and believe it or not, the Cayman Islands! And there’s the Philippines and Lebanon. So we are in good company.”
Mostafa Hashemi’s team, Mahram, was a last minute replacement for Saba Mehr, won back-to-back titles in this FIBA Asia Champions Cup competition in 2007 & 2008. Their unavailability prompted Mahram to take their place. But they are no slouches themselves as the West Asian Basketball Association champions hope to extend Iranian dominance in the region.
In their first outing of the tournament, they pounded the hard-fighting Philippine team into submission with dozens of forays inside that saw a cluster of dunks and putbacks in a show of offensive might. Nevertheless, the winning coach, Hashemi, had high praise for Philippine Head Coach Rajko Toroman and his wards.
Said the coach, “I think it’s (Smart Gilas) raw and young with lots of good shooters. And they are very fast. I think it only doesn’t have the experience but it is a very good team.”
As Mappong looked up at her work that was being posted on Antara’s website, she had one last thing to add about the Philippine team: “Smart is a very good name for the team because they play smart.”
She once more paused; no doubt to get my attention as she left a dangling thought in the manner of her statement.
“Do you know what “gilas” means in Indonesian?”
“It means fight. That is perfect for that team. They fight until the very end.”
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