TUNE-UP games against Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) teams are one of the plans for the RP-Nokia Youth Team as it prepares for the Fiba-Asia Youth Championship in Tehran from August 28 to September 5.

Team captain Frank Golla said the tune-up games were similar to the ones they did before the Southeast Asian Basketball Association Championship for Young Men in Kuala Lumpur two weeks ago. To prepare for the Kuala Lumpur tournament, they faced collegiate and Philippine Basketball League squads.         

Only this time, the 18-year-old Golla said national youth coach Franz Pumaren will go further by pitting them against professional teams.

“The tune-up games will help us a lot if they will push through because we will get a chance to play against veteran players. It is an advantage playing against them, instead of playing against our same age,” said Golla, as he represented the team during Tuesday’s Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the Shakey’s United Nation’s Avenue.

Gabriel Banal, who joined Golla in the forum, said the coaching staff is concentrating on its conditioning as the task at hand in the Fiba-Asia becomes tougher.

“Our opponents are bigger and stronger. We have to play a run-and-gun game to counter the strengths of our opponents,” said Banal, 17, son of Alaska assistant coach Joel Banal and a cousin of Golla.

Iran reportedly has a seven-foot-six center on its national youth team, while China, Japan, South Korea and Chinese Taipei are perennial contenders in the tournament, which is a qualifying event for the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore in 2010.

The Nationals, who are backed by Nokia and TAO Corp., headed by Julio Sy Jr., are taking a break before heading to conditioning and weight training on May 19. They will head back to practice two weeks after.

Filipino-Canadian Norberto Torres and Filipino-American Kyle Pascual have returned abroad to attend to their studies but will return in time for the preparation for the Asian meet.

The Nokia-RP Youth booked swept its way to the SEABA Championships for Young Men in Kuala Lumpur.

Lakers vs. Utah or Kobe vs. back spasms

UTAH’S back. Kobe Bryant says he will be, too.

A series is now a series, which meant all eyes turned to the newest Most Valuable Player as he took it easy on Monday, resting his back in lieu of risking further flare-ups of the kind that floored him a couple of times in Game Four.

Hapee needs a healthy Jervy

BAGUIO CITY—Hapee Toothpaste head coach Louie Alas knows that if his wants his team to win the 2008 Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Lipovitan Amino Sports title, he would need a healthy Jervy Cruz.

TUNE-UP games against Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) teams are one of the plans for the RP-Nokia Youth Team as it prepares for the Fiba-Asia Youth Championship in Tehran from August 28 to September 5.

Red Bull and Coca-Cola are looking pretty good.

The coleaders hope to keep the pressure on their closest pursuers as they wrap up their elimination-round campaign in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA)-Smart Fiesta Cup.

Lyceum struggled against a surprisingly tough St. Benilde side but pulled off a 25-22, 25-19, 31-29 victory just the same to assure itself of a playoff for the last semifinal berth in the Shakey’s V-League Season 5 at The Arena in San Juan Tuesday.

BAGUIO CITY—Former junior star Kat Gonzales carded an eagle-aided 54 points under the Modified Stableford scoring to put in motion Manila Southwoods-Masters’ title-retention bid in Group I of the fifth Camp John Hay (CJH) Asian Ladies Team Championship on Tuesday at the Camp John Hay Golf Club course.

SCHOOL season is just a few weeks away, and I’ve been asked so many times by concerned parents on which school to choose for their athlete-sons or daughters.