SBP wants full control of cage program

source PhilStar.com

MANILA, Philippines - The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, thankful to the Philippine Basketball Association and at the same time disappointed over the country’s eighth-place finish in the 25th FIBA Asia Championship in Tianjin, China, yesterday said it wants full control of the national team geared toward the 2012 London Olympics.

Speaking on behalf of SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan, executive director Noli Eala yesterday said the Smart and PLDT chairman would like to thank the PBA players for representing the country in Tianjin, and that he was fully aware “of all the sacrifices they had to make and how difficult it must have been.”

The PBA team coached by Yeng Guiao only had a couple of months to prepare for the event but carried the heavy expectations of beating the finest Asian squads and making it to the 2010 World Championship in Turkey. Still, it managed an eighth place finish, better than the ninth place finish it had in 2007.

Eala said while the SBP understands the predicament of having to do so much with very little time, the best option now is for the country’s national basketball federation to stick to its long-term program of developing its young Smart Gilas team which, given proper time and materials, can achieve the goal.

“They (PBA) deserve our gratitude and they have to be thanked for. However, we have to say we are disappointed with the finish. We were hoping we could have finished higher and make it to the World Championship. But that’s something we must continue to work on. And that’s precisely why we have a long term program,” said Eala.

The Philippines blew hot and cold in Tianjin, winning four of nine games. But three of those defeats, to Jordan, Qatar and Korea, came after the team was assured of a slot in the Top 8. A victory over the Jordanians could have sent the Philippines to the semis, and back in the map of Asian basketball.

While the Smart Gilas team is in place, Guiao believes that the best players in the country are still in the PBA, and that the SBP would eventually end up knocking on the doors of Asia’s first professional league, which shouldn’t hesitate in helping.

“We appreciate the suggestion being pursued by coach Guiao but we believe this (Smart Gilas) is the more comprehensive, more focused and obviously more responsive program than that team in Tianjin. We believe this is the right direction to take,” added Eala. He said the PBA was not created as a federation but a commercial venture.

“The mandate and business model of PBA at this time is not consistent with demands and needs for maintaining a national team program. And we cannot blame the PBA for this. It’s not as simple as saying ‘we have the best players.’ They must consider a paradigm shift in officiating, coaching style and philosophy, their calendar and schedules.”

Guiao and his players are scheduled to fly home today.

Eala said there are many things that are “anti-thesis” to the PBA’s involvement to the national team as well as its performance as a commercial league, and said “the SBP appreciates their willingness to help.”

The SBP executive director said they will welcome any help from the PBA, especially if and when the time comes they might need the services of a couple of players, three at the maximum, to beef up the Smart Gilas team which is also looking at Fil-Am Chris Lutz and CJ Giles who may be up for naturalization.

“At this point the SBP would want to take over the national team. If the PBA is open to being involved then it would have to be under the program and direction of SBP, including the selection of national coaches and implementation of program,” said Eala of the SBP program being run by Serbian coach Rajko Toroman.

“We want to make clear we want the SBP to handle the running of the national team henceforth. It’s also strange that the PBA wants to continue the long term program when they could have done that with the 2007 program rather than come up with a brand new team again and brand new coaching staff,” Eala added.

He stressed that there will always be difficulty with the continuity program if the PBA handles the national team.

“This is the team (Smart Gilas) we want to train for the next two years. By the 2010 Asian Games we will have a very good idea where we are. We feel we have enough players. Yeng’s statement that we will not be at peak in three years is unfair and uncalled for. He doesn’t even know our program. This is not the time to criticize any program,” Eala added.