KUALA LUMPUR—The Philippines was to meet host Malaysia late Thursday and what kept head coach Franz Pumaren worried was that he would be going to a war zone aware of the possible scenarios, but not about how strong or weak the enemy would be.

“Just like in a war, we don’t still have the idea of how they [opposition] trained and prepared [especially for us],” said Pumaren two hours before his wards went to battle in the Southeast Asia Basketball Association Junior Men’s Championship at the Maba Gym here.

“But we have prepared well enough for this tournament…but we would be expecting the worse,” added Pumaren, who draws inspiration from his memories of 1986, when he was with the Ron Jacobs-coached national team that last won for the Philippines the Asian Basketball Confederation men’s crown.

The RP Youth, backed by Nokia through the TAO Corp. headed by Julio Sy Jr., who joined the nationals at the Olympic Hotel Thursday, arrived here Monday and had two three-hour practice sessions, which Pumaren described as dealing more with the mental rather than the physical.

“It’s really the first game we are worried about, and after that, we would be getting the feel of the opposition,” said Pumaren.

Indonesia was to meet Thailand at 6 p.m. Thursday before a brief opening ceremony, after which the Filipino boys, culled from a nationwide and meticulous search by the Basketball Association of the Philippines (BAP)-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, take on the Malaysians at 8 p.m.

All games in the short tournament that ends Tuesday are scheduled in the evenings. On Friday the Philippines meets Thailand at 7 p.m., takes a break on Saturday, battles Indonesia at 9 p.m. Sunday and, finally, Singapore at 8 p.m. Monday.

Save for having just good looks at the other teams’ players at the dining hall of the Olympic Hotel where all delegations are billeted, Pumaren and company have not seen their enemies play at all.

“We could only base our strategy so far [Thursday] on the body language of the players,” said Pumaren.

Malaysia, because of the home crowd, remained tops in the minds of the Philippine coaching staff. “They have players who are six-foot-seven, six-foot-eight, and we continue to suspect they indeed have one naturalized player,” said Pumaren.

Besides playing at home, Pumaren said the Malaysians have prepared well for the tournament, having formed its team since April last year.

Pumaren would be starting against the Malaysians and the rest of the field with Norberto Bryan Torres, Samuel Joseph Marata, Mark Joel de Guzman, Ryan Roose Garcia and Frank Golla Jr.

“Basically, we will be using this rotation for the rest of the tournament,” explained Pumaren.

The Philippines is back to regain the crown in the biennial tournament it last won in 2004 in Dumaguete City, with Jason Castro (Harbour Centre), Ogie Menor (San Beda) and James Martinez (University of the East) heading the successful campaign.

But with the International Basketball Association of Fiba suspending the Philippines after that for some two years because of ugly intramurals in the BAP, the Philippines could not defend in 2006 with Malaysia winning the crown also here in Kuala Lumpur.

Thanks for the memories, Suns…

…Or maybe that Shaquille O’Neal deal really wasn’t such a good idea.

Not that all us skeptics were saying that when they won 15 of their last 20 and ran over the Spurs in San Antonio and coach Gregg Popovich said they were the hottest team in the West.

RP-Nokia 5, Franz expecting worse

KUALA LUMPUR—The Philippines was to meet host Malaysia late Thursday and what kept head coach Franz Pumaren worried was that he would be going to a war zone aware of the possible scenarios, but not about how strong or weak the enemy would be.

THE Ginebra Gin Kings will try to score their first win this tournament as they go up against a similarly struggling Purefoods TJ Giants tonight in the ongoing elimination round of the Smart-PBA Fiesta Conference.

BURGER King ended its elimination campaign on a high note after beating Pharex, 69-65, in the 2008 Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Lipovitan Amino Sports Cup yesterday at the Gov. Ayong Maliksi Gym in Trece Martirez, Cavite.

SO David Diaz is insisting Manny Pacquiao will be his biggest fight ever? Ask Team Pacquiao and they will tell you this will also be the Filipino fighter’s toughest challenge to date.

FIVE more Filipino swimmers will attempt to qualify for the Beijing Olympics.

Philippine Amateur Swimming Association president Mark Joseph said that female swimmers Erika Totten, Marichi Gadiongco, Jackie Pangilinan and Denjylie Cordero, and lone male tanker Kendrick Uy will compete in various meets in the US, particularly in the Janet Evans International Meet at the University of South California this June.

MAGIC Millions managing director David Chester is arriving on Monday and will personally invite local horsemen to join the highly successful June National Sales, considered to be the biggest horse auction in the northern hemisphere today, from June 2 to 16 at the Gold Coast.