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MANILA—Spurred on by a nation where a Summer Games
appearance was a lofty dream once, and where the
politics of hatred finds momentary solace when a local
athlete’s pursuit of worldwide sporting excellence takes
center stage, San Miguel-Team Pilipinas, the modern-day
version of Jason and the Argonauts, leaves this
afternoon for Tokushima, Japan, to vie for the Golden
Fleece—an Olympic berth in the FIBA-Asia Men’s
Championship.
No less
than the FIBA-Asia title, or a runner-up finish to
defending champion China and nobody else, will be
acceptable to national coach Chot Reyes, who brought
together within a five-month period, and against an
array of adversities, 15 men, all but one of them
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) stars, who will
wage war with the best of Asia for the chance to
represent the continent to the Beijing Olympiad in
August next year.
Of the
15—Asi Taulava, Jimmy Alapag and Renren Ritualo of Talk
’N Text; Tony de la Cruz of Alaska; Mark Caguioa, Jayjay
Helterbrand and Eric Menk of Ginebra; Dondon Hontiveros
and Danny Seigle of San Miguel Beer; Ranidel de Ocampo
of Air21; Kerby Raymundo and James Yap of Purefoods;
Kelly Williams of Sta. Lucia Realty; Mick Pennisi of Red
Bull; and Gabe Norwood of George Mason U who secured his
Philippine passport late Monday evening after getting
clearance from the Justice department earlier—three will
be dropped before the Managers Meeting on July 27 to
make way for the Final 12.
The
trimmed-down Nationals then embark on their quest by
taking on Iran on July 28, China on July 29, and Jordan
on July 30 in the preliminary round.
“We’ve
done everything humanely possible to prepare for Japan,”
said Reyes, who talked as though he trained not players
but gladiators for combat in the Roman Colosseum.
“It now
boils down to execution, desire and pride. And prayers
from the Filipino nation.”
PBA
commissioner Noli Eala recalled the sacrifices the
national team undertook from Day One.
“For
nearly 147 days, the PBA-backed San Miguel-Pilipinas
national team labored and sacrificed for one solitary
chance of a lifetime in search of our Olympic dream,”
Eala said.
“Today,
with our collective sweat and hard work as our capital,
and our faith in the Almighty as our guide, we embark on
a mission undaunted by the enormity of the task ahead.
“This is
a quest to bring honor, pride and respect to 82 million
basketball-loving Pinoys. With each game, we carry their
dreams and their hopes, and we ask the whole nation to
pray for our team.”
PBA
chairman Ricky Vargas urged the Nationals to pour their
hearts out in the fulfillment of their commitment.
“It is
not committing to do your best that is hard, you have
already done that,” Vargas said. “It is living up to
that commitment that is difficult. So live it up to the
fullest by achieving the task ahead of you.
“We are
proud of what you have become as a team. The impossible
is possible. Let’s go to the Olympics!”
San
Miguel-RP team manager Robert Non said the tournament is
as much about redemption and respect as anything else.
“This is
it, the culmination of our sacrifices and hard work for
the past two years,” Non said. “Now it is time for us to
pray and support the San Miguel-Pilipinas team as our
national players carry our dreams of redemption in
international basketball.
“It’s
not only the championship that matters, but more
importantly bringing back respect for us Filipinos.”
The
Nationals attend one last practice at Sportskamp in The
Fort Wednesday morning before proceeding to the
Centennial Terminal for the 2:30 p.m. Philippine
Airlines flight to Tokushima.
A
two-hour bus ride will take them to the Tokushima Prince
Hotel at about 9 p.m. |
