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IT’S a
none too fancy press conference for the Philippine
women’s basketball team at Dulcinea along the restaurant
row that is Tomas Morato in Quezon City. But the
14-strong team and its coach Fritz Gaston are grateful
for every bit of help that comes their way.
“As you
can see, we’re trying to build something beautiful along
the way,” said the bemedaled former Ateneo and
Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) star. “We are
definitely on to something. In fact, people are looking
into the possibility of a pro league for women. And
these girls are the right ones to make the sport popular
here in the country.”
(SEATED, from left)
University Athletic Association of the Philippines board
representatives Jose Capistrano Jr. of Ateneo, Hercules
Callanta of University of the Philippines and Felicitas
Francisco of Santo Tomas U join women’s coach Fritz
Gaston and the RP women’s basketball team in a press
conference Wednesday at a restaurant in Quezon City. -- ROMY
FLORANTE
While
Gaston was sharing his views on why it’s a welcome and
nice change to be coaching women, instead of men, with
other guests, his players seated on the adjacent table
gushed and smiled at a picture that veteran freelance
photographer Tony Lu circulated among them. It was a
picture of Gaston dating back to his days with the
Crispa Redmanizers in his PBA years in the early 1980s
(he wrapped up a successful four-year stint with Tommy
Manotoc’s giant-killing U-Tex Wranglers prior to the
move). When he wheeled around to check on his wards,
national team mainstay AA Adriano laughed, “Okay sa
shorts, coach.”
Despite
the light mood at the presscon, everyone knows the game
is serious business. Fresh from a silver-medal finish in
the Southeast Asia Basketball Association (Seaba) in
Phuket, Thailand, the RP-Cebuana team, as it was known,
has been working on its conditioning and its game in
preparation for the 24th Southeast Asian Games in Nakhon
Ratchasima, Thailand. If teams took them lightly in
Phuket, they sure won’t for Nakhon Ratchasima.
“Thailand immediately scheduled us for their first
match, so we can’t scout them,” related Gaston. “But it
works both ways. They can’t scout our reinforcements
either.”
In the
last Seaba, the team played for a grueling six straight
days. “I don’t think I’ve ever played competitively for
six straight days back in college [with Maryland] or in
the pros [in Australia with the Sydney Flames],” said
Vicki Brick, the team’s secret weapon in Phuket. “The
last time around, we had like seven or eight days to
blend, but now the team is more familiar with one
another, better conditioned and better prepared. But we
still have to find how to integrate MJ and Amira
[Melissa Jacob and Amira Issa; the team’s
Filipino-American reinforcements]. It’s all going to
boil down to execution.”
Bucking
a mild back injury that has kept her from going full
throttle, Jacob was optimistic about throwing her weight
around, “I’m in the learning process. I’m getting to
know everyone’s sweet spots on the floor. Hopefully, I
can contribute in anyway possible.”
The SEA
Games will only have a four-team field as other
countries have backed out of the competition, so every
game is critical. A loss can immediately jeopardize
one’s medal hopes. When asked if the team can win SEA
Games gold, Brick deadpanned, “Heck, I dream about it
every night.”
The RP
team, although not yet trimmed down to its 12-member
roster, will be leaving for China this coming Monday,
November 26, to train. There the team will be playing a
combination of youth, college and military teams as part
of its preparations for the SEA Games. The team will be
back on home soil on December 2 and depart with the rest
of Philippine delegation on the December 5.
The team
pool is composed of Grajales, Emelia Vega, Adriano,
Pixie Valencia, Diane Jose, Mae Narciza, Chiko Matsuno,
Fats Tolentino, Tin Chua, Pipay Villanueva, Cassy
Tioseco, Brick, Jacob and Issa.
Considering the lack of popularity of women’s basketball
in the country, every member of the team immediately
jumped at the opportunity to play for flag and country.
Villanueva quit her job just to play. “This is a
once-in-a-lifetime experience. Not everyone gets to do
this,” said the former Ateneo Lady Eagle who was a part
of the school’s team that won its first University
Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) title in
2005.
Grajales,
who played for the
University
of Iloilo and has been with the team since 2003, was
clearly excited about this team’s chances. “Sa
palagay ko, ito na ’yung pinakamalakas na team na
kasama ako.
Sana tuloy tuloy
na.”
Summed
up Gaston, “We have the skills to compete. The other
teams like Thailand have been around for about four
years now. In fact, they’ve been in training for the
last eight months just for SEA Games gold. But I’ll say
this, this team has got a big heart. And any day, give
me players with big hearts and I’ll show you what we can
do.”
The UAAP
throws in its support
THE UAAP
sponsored the press conference in part.
“For the
last 15 years, the UAAP has been sending athletes and
teams to compete in the World University Games,” said
Ateneo’s Jun Jun Capistrano. “Since we have a lot of
our players on the women’s national team, we really
wanted to support them.”
And the
show of support has come in from gracious individuals
and corporations like Manny V. Pangilinan, Pato Gregorio
and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, Alex Huang,
Cynthia Tiu, Robin Tong, Cebuana Lhuillier, Burlington,
Nike, Gatorade, Petron and Victory Liner, among others.
“We are
definitely happy about the support we’re getting,” said
Gaston. “Like I said, every little bit counts, and they
know we’re onto something good here.” |
