No excuses, says Yeng Guiao, we will just play hard for PH
Coach Yeng Guiao has set modest goals for the hastily-formed national team that will compete in this month’s Indonesia Asian Games amid the unpopular decision to initially withdraw from the quadrennial meet.
Guiao, whose team will be led mostly by his former Rain or Shine players, said improving the seventh place finish from the 2014 edition in Incheon will be considered a success although he’s also aiming for the stars if the opportunity presents itself.
“Our marching order is try to get better than seventh place,” Guiao said in Sunday’s press conference where the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and the Philippine Basketball Association announced the cage team’s re-entry to the meet set Aug. 18 to Sept. 2.
“If we’re capable of getting a higher placing, of course you go for it. There’s a certain factor of luck getting into the equation, depending on the groupings and the opponents that you’ll face.
“I’m not really sure what that group is yet, but I hope that it won’t be tough so we can have a deep run in the next stages. But we will pose no excuses, we will just play hard for the country. We will try to give our best and make our countrymen proud of us,” he added.
Six players from other PBA ballclubs were added to the pool composed of Rain or Shine players and two from the Gilas Cadets as Guiao got his wish to have San Miguel’s Beer Christian Standhardinger, Magnolia’s Paul Lee, GlobalPort’s Stanley Pringle, NLEX’s Asi Taulava, Blackwater’s Poy Erram and TNT KaTropa’s Don Trollano.
The addition of Lee has turned the Asiad stint into a Rain or Shine reunion with Guiao joining forces anew with Gabe Norwood, Beau Belga, Raymond Almazan, Chris Tiu and Maverick Ahanmisi.
Trollano, who has become a major contributor for TNT, was also a former Elasto Painter, having played for Guiao during his rookie year in 2016.
Guiao also has Taulava, his current player at NLEX, and Rain or Shine’s James Yap, who like Taulava was his player during a national team stint in the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship in Tianjin, China.
The fiery mentor could have gotten more ex-Rain or Shine cagers but TNT’s Jericho Cruz is still recovering from an injury and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel’s Jeff Chan is playing in the ongoing PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals.