Gilas Pilipina’s embarrassing defeat

By Jesus a. Garcia Jr.

I WATCHED how our national squad “Gilas Pilipinas” lost its first game in this year’s FIBA Asia in Changsha, China to a greenhorn team, Palestine. Yes, I, too, was shocked on seeing a neophyte team that had amateurs in form from a war-torn country humble our Gilas who led as many as 16 points only to succumb in the crucial minute due to a tactical error. What a shame. Something appears to be really wrong with our nationals. And who is to blame? Of course, principally American tactician Tab Baldwin!

Only four Palestine players led by Jamal Abu Shamala nailing a game-high 26 points stopped our Gilas five. But it was U.S.-trained and only professional cager in the Palestine camp, six-foot-nine Sani Sakakini, who buried the key three-point play with under 16 seconds left that nailed it down for the debuting Palestine quintet. The two others were Sani’s sibling Samal and Imad Qahwash. “We prepared for just two weeks and Shamala joined us just two days prior to the game,” boasted Sani. “We didn’t practice as much as we wanted to but we just tried to play as hard as we can and tried to show the people that we deserve to be here,” he added.

This Gilas latest debacle was hard to accept after what had been said about their preparation in Cebu City, including moving to seclusion to be able to concentrate on their workouts. But that did not work out. This is the first time I believe that our Nationals was beaten by a first-timer in the history of Asia basketball. This is really embarrassing. The ‘balls’ and guts of our Gilas this year were not like what the 2013 squad had when they placed second. Gone from the team were centers Jun Mar Fajardo and Japeth Aguilar, sharp-shooters Jeffrey Chan, Paul Lee, L. A. Tenorio and Jimmy Alapag.

As I’m writing this piece (Thursday morning) our Gilas cagers are on their second assignment against the improving Hong Kong team. Hong Kong is not an easy prey because they routed Saudi Arabia, 87-50, in their first mission last Wednesday. And if Gilas falls again, (hopefully not) then our chance to play in the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games will certainly vanish. Let’s wait and see.

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My heartfelt congrats to the high school boys of Ednas School for winning their fourth consecutive game (sans loss) last September 19, battering the multi-titled and city mate Divine World Academy, 60-39. They won the first of two slots for the semifinals of the Pangasinan Milo Best Center SBP Passerelle Basketball Tournament held at Pozorrubio gym and now ranked number one in Bracket-B. The young boys of Rogelio Joseph Torio Gonzales are under the tutelage of my first child Jazy and veteran coach and provincial sports consultant Angel C. Gumarang.

Also my big congrats to Santo, Pangasinan son and national team member Robeno Javier for finishing second in the 2015 National Duathlon Championship held in, Cebu City last September 12. Reports reached me that Javier’s co-national member Bicol man John Chicano conquered the 10-kilometer footrace, 40-kilometer bike, 5-kilometer run by edging the duathlete of the year Javier by 56 seconds. Joey delos Reyes of Manila came in third three minutes 15 seconds off Chicano.

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QUOTE OF THE WEEK: I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live. PSALM 116: 1-2

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