Sports Eye

By September 17, 2019Opinion, Sports Eye

Gilas needs longer training period

By Jesus A. Garcia Jr

OUR national basketball squad “Gilas” all composed of professional players came home from China last Tuesday empty handed in this year’s FIBA World Cup. Upon arrival at the airport, the team’s head coach Yeng Guiao explained that their debacle after being pitted against the best teams in the world was due to the team’s short training period together. That caused them winless in this year’s quadrennial meet, a monumental disappointment in the Philippines’ stint abroad. Well, it could be a good alibi but pundits say only few Filipino basketball admirers believe it.

“Laos, mahina, palpak, hanggang sa porma lang sila, hanggang sa tv ads lang tayo magaling, pang-Asia lang ang abilidad natin at hindi pang-world dahil kulang tayo ng tangkad, dapat ma-overhaul ang Gilas, mabuti pa si former head coach Chot Reyes kaysa kay Guiao,” is what I hear from my friends here and abroad, including basketball experts and media colleagues. All of them were aghast and disgusted. Yes, for the first time we failed to defeat (now) our perennial victim, Angola, a North African standout. We lost to Angola by three points, 84-81, in overtime, aside from losing badly to Italy by 46 points (62-108), 59 points against Serbia (67-126), 19 points against Tunisia (67-86), and 20 points against co-Asia’s powerhouse Iran (75-95) in the classification phase. What a shame, considering that basketball is the number one favorite sport of Filipinos. We did not lose only in the World Cup but we also lost the 2020 Olympic slot when Iran mercilessly clobbered Gilas that caused us to drop 32nd and last in the quadrennial meet.

Guiao is apologetic, taking the full responsibility for the underwhelming show of his boys and gentlemanly and humbly resigned his post, obviously for delicadeza purposes. I doff my cap to him. He knows how to accept defeat and take the blame, unlike other coaches in other sports.

Solution? Yes, reorganize, rework and introduce fresh developments among the young aspirants and firmly educate them on the basics of real competitive quality and scientific proficiency, to prepare prudently, not hurriedly have take time to jell together for a longer period and expose their mettle and skills abroad especially in Europe and South America to familiarize them with their basketball plays.

FIBA technical advisor and instructor Nelson Isley said, “a national team that comes poorly prepared for the FIBA World Cup will end up biting the dust.” I agree. And that’s what happened to Gilas this year, winding up a disaster 0-5 (win-loss) finish, our first in the history of World Cup. Similar to what happened to the defending champion Team USA, repulsed by the French team last Wednesday, 89-79, in the quarterfinals and exited in the final four. That’s understandable because USA did not send its best players this time, unlike last year. 

Admittedly, Gilas learned a big lesson and I believe they will try to be a better team next time around. First and foremost, we are hosting the event and hopefully no more humiliating defeats.

To be truly competitive against the best in the world, they should form a new Gilas team that will be playing with the European and Latino countries. That’s very essential. The four-year period should be enough time to improve our national teams. That will take a lot of money to do it but there’s no other way.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK:If someone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? 1 JOHN 4: 20

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