One giant leap for RP youth

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Now comes the hard part.

After easily clinching the seventh Southeast Asian Basketball Championships for Junior Men, the Nokia-Philippine Youth team will now face the giants of Asia.

"The players came from different schools and different systems, but with all the hard work they put in, it eventually came together for us," explained head coach Franz Pumaren. "We even had a couple of walk-ons who felt they could make it, and did."

The team, made up of the best 16- to 18-year olds from all over the country, from as far north as central Luzon to as far south as Zamboanga, simply destroyed all opposition in Kuala Lumpur. They rendered a finals appearance academic by crushing Indonesia by 80, after thumping Malaysia by 31 and beating Thailand by 16. It was the first SEABA Youth championship for the Philippines since the 2004 edition held in Lucena, Quezon, with a team led by new Singapore Slingers recruit Jason Castro and UST swingman Dylan Ababou.

Pumaren said it was relatively easy to motivate the players to suit up for flag and country, and the players felt it once they stepped onto the floor at the Malaysian Basketball Association (MABA) gym.

"I told them that this is not just for us, but for the whole Filipino community," said the UAAP champion coach of De La Salle University. "It’s all about getting the respect of our neighboring countries in Asia again. They realized that, and played really hard."

The youth team, currently playing in the seniors division of the Nike Summer League, prepared for battle by participating in the Philippine Basketball League, against former national players and veteran amateurs.

"That was a big help for us," Pumaren said of the experience. "The boys got to experience playing against more mature players who play a more physical game. That will be a big help for us when we get to Iran."

The next step for the boys will be measuring themselves against the region’s best in the FIBA-Asia Youth Championships, which opens in Tehran, Iran on Aug. 28. There, the Philippines will be up against the likes of China, Iran, North Korea, Japan, and some Middle Eastern countries. In the meantime, the incoming college freshmen on the team will have to skip playing for their respective schools in the upcoming UAAP and NCAA tournaments.

"That’s one of the sacrifices we asked of the boys," clarifies Val Victa of the sponsoring Tao Corp. "We asked them to forego representing their schools to focus on the goal at hand."

There are several factors that could impact on the country’s success, foremost of which is the luck of the draw which determines the bracketing of participating teams.

"Also, we have heard from veteran SEABA coach Felton Sealy that some countries like China may be fielding some ineligible players," Pumaren adds. "We are looking into that. Of course, the officiating will also be a factor. But like I said, it will be difficult, but possible."

One significant change in how FIBA has run its tournaments will have a positive effect on the Philippine campaign, though. After this under-18 tournament, the next World Youth Championship will be under-19, and the next tournament will be under-20. That will allow us to keep our players together for the long-term. Pumaren likened it to his experience playing for the Northern Cement squad of the 1980’s.

"We played together for so long, Allan Caidic would just wink at me, and I’d know where he wanted the ball. And once Samboy Lim looked my way, I knew what he was going to do," Pumaren recalled. "Of course, with any team, in the beginning, there will be a lot of frustrations.

The core of the champion team of Iran was their youth team of a few years ago."

The ultimate goal of the current youth team is to make the 2012 London Olympics. But first, we have to overcome the giants of Asia.

The Philippine Star
ABS CBN News - Philippines