SBP remains undaunted by tough Olympic task

from philstar.com

MANILA, Philippines - Despite the overwhelming odds, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) remains confident of its chances for the lone Olympic berth staked in the Asian zone.

Speaking at the PSA Forum, SBP executive director Noli Eala cited the cage body’s long-term program through the RP-Smart Gilas team under Serbian coach Rajko Toroman as one of the reasons why Team RP has a shot for the Olympic slot.

“One thing that gives me a lot of hope is the fact that we have a program. We have an honest-to-goodness program to back up our desire to win in 2011,” he said.

“The program consists of an international coach who knows what it takes to win in the international arena and has got the experience and credentials to show for it,” Eala said.

Toroman, the architect of Iran’s rise to power in Asian basketball prior to becoming coach of the Smart Gilas team, on the other hand, stressed that achieving the unthinkable should begin within the players and the team themselves.

“It’s not going to be easy, but we have to believe that we can do that. In the beginning it may be painful, we will lose some games, we will be sacrificing, we will be going on some difficult situations. But in the end, our goal is 2011 and we will do everything to put things together.”

The 54-year-old Serbian noted how Iran also went through the same phase when he first handled the team in 2007.

But playing together all year round and acquiring experiences in the international level toughened them up and made the team what it is right now – a two-time FIBA-Asia champion.

“We played many international games. Do you think that it was nice to lose 25 out of 35 games? It was very tough for me, for the players. But we just believed we were sacrificing together. We just believed that these games will give us something new and something better in the future,” he said.

Bannered by 7-foot-3 Hamed Hedadi of the Memphis Grizzlies, the Iranians earned a berth in the Beijing Olympics last year under Toroman then. They also beat China, 70-52, in the finals of the recent 25th FIBA-Asia Championship in front of a partisan crowd.

“I think the biggest thing that gave me hope was when Iran beat China in their home court. If you look at Iran, it’s no bigger than us, except maybe for Hamed, who’s really the focal point. But everyone else I guess, is comparable to us.

But Eala reiterated it won’t be easy.

“It’s going to be very tough. Let’s be realistic and let’s manage everybody’s expectations. It’s not a shoo-in. It’s not a matter of showing up in 2011 and winning that slot,” said Eala of the 2011 FIBA-Asia tournament that serves as the qualifier for the London Games.