Gilas can learn from Iran’s cage program
GILAS Pilipinas’ newly appointed team manager Richard del Rosario believes the Philippines can learn a lot from the success of the Iran men’s national team’s basketball program, which produced the likes of Asian cage stars Hamed Haddadi, Mehdi Kamrani and Nikkhah Bahrami.
Del Rosario shared his thoughts after the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas named Barangay Ginebra mentor Tim Cone as the national squad’s new head coach on Monday.
Cone named the Gilas 12-man squad, which is a strong mix of youth and veteran international players led by Japan B.League Filipino imports Kai Sotto, AJ Edu, Dwight Ramos and Carl Tamayo in the team, along with La Salle star and UAAP Season 86 Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kevin Quiambao.
The latest Gilas iteration also included six PBA stars led by seventime league MVP June Mar Fajardo and CJ Perez of San Miguel, Scottie Thompson and Jamie Malonzo of Barangay Ginebra, Meralco’s Chris Newsome and TNT gunner Calvin Oftana, while Justin Brownlee has been designated naturalized player, pending FIBA’s decision regarding his eligibility in upcoming tournaments.
“Let us learn from the success from other national teams as well because guys from Iran before have the same players in whatever tournament they participated, like Haddaid and Kamrani, they were the ones who competed, and they mentored the younger guys that came in to the national team,” del Rosario shared during his guest appearance at One Sports’ “The Game” hosted by Boom Gonzales and Paolo del Rosario.
Haddadi has served as the Iran men’s basketball’s centerpiece, and teaming up with Kamran and Bahrami went on to lead the West Asian basketball king to three FIBA Asia Cup gold medals in 2007 in Tokushima, Japan; 2009 in Tianjin, China; and 2013 in Manila.
The Iranians also dominated the Williams Jones Cup after winning the gold in 2009, 2011, 2013 and 2015.
Del Rosario said chemistry is vital in team sports, admitting that the mixture of young and veteran players in Gilas will have its highs and lows as they play under Cone.
“The biggest mistake or what happens to our country is that when we don’t perform well, we always ask for change,” said the concurrent Ginebra deputy coach. “We have to accept the fact we will not win all games. If we don’t win some of the games, it doesn’t mean we have to scratch what we started and start from zero again.”
Del Rosario added that Filipinos, who are known globally as “basketball-crazy,” must also be “committed to support” the Gilas players through thick and thin.
“We also have to commit and support the guys. I think if we have that, we’ll be able to do good things, and let us learn from success from other national teams as well,” he stressed.
The amiable Filipino assistant coach-turned-Gilas team manager is confident that the presence of present and future basketball stars in the national team will augur well for the country’s program.
“I think it’s a very good mix of veteran and young players [because] we have a team that can win now, and a team that can still grow and win in the future,” he shared.
“That’s what we want, a continuity of the program. We want to keep the core intact as much as possible.”