This writer is not so much a music fan, but as a Filipino it was a joy to learn that two Filipinos attracted the American eyes, or ears, for that matter, through the cyberspace. 

They are singers, Charice Pempengco and Arnel Pineda, the first being a staple in US talk shows like the Ellen DeGeneres Show and the latter making it as the new singer of iconic band Journey.

What this writer is driving at is that cyberspace seems to be the new media, where people can opt to launch their careers and get the attention they need.

Before, I was told that new recording artists would need to get the nod of recording companies and radio stations to be noticed, but then there’s already YouTube as an alternative venue. Ditto with actors and actresses.

So I was just thinking: Is it also possible for Filipino basketball players to make it to the National Basketball Association (NBA) or the European leagues just via the Internet?

I am not sure if scouts actually saw Jason Castro through the Internet before luring him to play for the Singapore Slingers, but the prospects of getting noticed through the Internet are boundless.

I remember at a time we used to get imports for the Philippine Basketball Association teams, we were reliant on the game tapes provided by the agent, which are usually out of date and do not show the real skills of the player.

Just imagine a high school player being noticed through the Internet and getting a chance to play in a US college.

It’s a fact that like most NBA teams, colleges are also open to the prospect of getting international talent. If Europeans, Canadians, South Americans and some Africans made it there, it is just a matter of time when scouts come knocking at our door. This should give league commissioners notice to post their league games online, not only to popularize the league, but also to get foreign scouts to notice the players

I am saying this not to actually ask college scouts abroad to lure the best players from the Philippines, but to allow players to get the best training possible and play against tough competition in the United States. This way, the country and even the professional leagues can benefit from their high-octane style of play.

Playing in the local collegiate leagues is great, but if a player can improve his skills by going abroad, he should grab the opportunity.

So other than polishing their skills, our players should have their passports ready.

This week’s question: What does it take to be a basketball coach?

Well, experience in the game is an advantage, although a working knowledge of how the game is played is the most essential. In addition, the ability to motivate a player to work on his strengths is also important.

Tshomlee eyes repeat over Aussie

BEIJING—The country’s eyes will all be on Tshomlee Go beginning at 11:45 a.m. Wednesday when he opens his campaign for an Olympic gold medal in taekwondo against Australian Ryan Carneli at the University of Science and Technology Gymnasium.

Left knee buckles, frustrates Torres

BEIJING—Maristella Torres was in high spirits, vowing to make the best out of her first Olympics stint. But her flesh, particularly her left knee, didn’t cooperate.

Ramirez stresses ‘revolutionary’ change

PHILIPPINE Sports Commission (PSC) chairman William “Butch” Ramirez has reiterated that changes which he called “revolutionary” should be done to Philippine sports after the Olympics.

Visa benefits 22 Filipinos

BEIJING—Twenty-two Filipino Visa card-holders are in Beijing enjoying the action in the 29th Olympic Games.

Ma Jian, now a stadium boss, remembers ‘Jawo’

BEIJING—Remember Ma Jian?

Ma was a member of the Chinese men’s national basketball team that Filipino cage stars in the late 1980s and early 1990s dreaded.

Far Eastern Games helped build up China

CHINA has definitely gone a long way in sports since it first participated in an international competition in Manila 95 years ago.

‘I HAD NO CHOICE’

BEIJING—Liu Xiang, China’s great hope for track glory at the Beijing Games, said he was sorry for his dramatic withdrawal from the Olympics, but that he had no choice because pain from a foot injury became unbearable.

Just Another Fan

BEIJING—If the basketball competition is assuming an old pattern, with the United States dominating and attention shifting elsewhere, the US players, superstars all, are still the lives of this party.

Ask Coach E: Going international

This writer is not so much a music fan, but as a Filipino it was a joy to learn that two Filipinos attracted the American eyes, or ears, for that matter, through the cyberspace.