I hope I am right in saying we’ll win in KL
I HAD this ending in an earlier column: “I hope I am wrong.” Preceding that line was a paragraph expressing my belief that we could not win the Fiba Asia Cup, which had just ended in Beirut. Sorry, I don’t mince words. Always.
Did I also say in that column that a second place finish was achievable? We had done that twice in the recent past. So why not this year? Again?
But when I scoured the field, I
saw Australia and New Zealand in the horizon. I held back. Both countries are formidable enough for us to conquer. And there was also China in the mix. And then came the stunner in the opener. Gilas Pilipinas smashed China in a shocking Game 1 performance sparked by Terrence Romeo’s game-high 26 points.
Was the crown suddenly attainable, China being the defending champion?
That thought seemed to have been cemented when Gilas followed up its giant upset win over China with back-to-back victories over Iraq and Qatar to sweep Group B.
It had seemed that South Korea would be reduced into a lightweight of an opponent for Gilas in the quarterfinals.
Did we not beat the Koreans in the 2013 edition, sending us back to the Fiba Worlds after nearly 40 years of waiting? But, alas, this time, fate was unkind. We did not only lose to Korea. We were routed as well, our egos getting brutalized with an unbelievable, if not unacceptable, 32-point setback.
With that, Gilas wasn’t only kicked out of the medal race. It was plunged to its worst finish (7th) after back-to-back runner-up performances in 2013 and 2015. But life goes on as we love to say. And so, from Beirut, the other Gilas quintet will try to repair damaged pride in the SEA Games now ongoing in Kuala Lumpur.
There will be no Romeo, Jason Castro, Matthew Wright, Japeth Aguilar, Gabe Norwood and June Mar Fajardo in KL.
In their place would be Kiefer Ravena, Ray Ray Parks and other budding stars lavishly nurtured under the Gilas program.
Aren’t we the SEAG champions for the longest time (17 crowns)?
Thus, in the same column I was referring to at the start of this piece, I also said we should retain our SEAG title with ease yet again.
I hope I am right.