Philippine Olympic Committee president Ricky Vargas has one marching order to the national men’s basketball team headed for the 18th Asian Games in Jakarta next month: Make us proud.
Vargas, also the chairman of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), was in attendance when Gilas Pilipinas, now bannered by the nucleus of Rain or Shine, trained for the first time with only a week left before the prestigious quadrennial meet in Jakarta.
All eyes will be on them after the team was hit by massive sanctions due to the ugly brawl against Australia in the FIBA World Cup Asian Qualifier last month.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas earlier withdrew the team from the Asiad since it couldn’t form a competitive team following the suspension of 10 players. But Special Assistant to the President Bong Go convinced the stakeholders, enabling the Elasto Painters and other squads to deploy their players in a bid to bounce back from a seventh-place finish in the Incheon edition in 2014.
Vargas knows that the odds are stacked against the Filipino cagers.
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“You cannot let the public down and you cannot let your fellow athletes down,” said Vargas after the training at the Meralco gym late Monday.
“Our objective is to improve on our last performance in the Asian Game. In 2014, we were seventh. So, you cannot be eighth or worse. Neither you can be seventh because that will not be an improvement.”
In a previous statement, PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said the new Gilas Pilipinas may not be as strong as other countries, but it is a fighting team capable of making it to the semifinals against giant countries like China, South Korea and Iran.
After all, the squad is composed of a mixture of seasoned veterans like James Yap and Asi Taulava as well as young guns like Ricci Rivero and Kobe Paras with adequate skills and international experience.
“We expect you to do better, perhaps get us a medal,” Vargas said.
“If that happens, we will truly have a reason to celebrate. We might even send a marching band over to Jakarta.”
Vargas also emphasized that the cagers should not go to Jakarta as professional basketball players.
They should go there as Filipinos willing to compete for the country.
“You are not going to Jakarta as a team of 12, but as part of a team of 272 athletes and officials,” he said.
“Carry the Philippine flag proudly and show your heart by how you play. Let the Filipino fans see it and feel it. We will be there.”
