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| Myanmar's coach is at the extreme left and wearing eye glasses. |
Myanmar’s coach can smile & laugh after loss
by
rick olivares
Myanmar Despite the
107-point blowout by the Philippine Men’s National Team on hapless Myanmar, the
Burmese remained buoyant. They broke from their locker room huddle with a loud
cheer. There were smiles and they even talked about the shots they made – tough
ones because many of them missed badly or were blocked. The steal on Philippine
point guard Jayson Castro, the best point guard in Asia, by Set Thu Tun Tun for
their first two points, at 17-2, was a small victory.
The Burmese also talked
about seeing Andray Blatche. “He’s a NBA player,” said Myanmar head coach Ten
Kok Heng in his limited English.
“We didn’t expect to do
much,” he added. “We’re a small team. But this will be a learning experience
for us.”
The coach also noted that
it was conversely the same for the Philippines’ football team that used to be
minnows in Southeast Asian football but have turned it around in the last eight
years. “Maybe one day we can play better,” Heng struggled for the right words.
“Compete. Yes, compete.”
His team was held to 40
points. But he looked for the small victories. A block on the Philippines’
Japeth Aguilar (who came back for a reverse dunk). “And our points from
turnovers,” Heng laughed. Myanmar managed only four to the Philippines’ 54
points. “We will learn.”
The Burmese haven’t lost
their sense of humor. And they did leave the Smart Araneta Coliseum with their
heads held up high and smiles on their faces.
“Our
biggest crowd ever,” left Heng.
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