Looking at the same direction
Preparations, or the lack of it, will make or unbreak any team, like Gilas Pilipinas, competing in tournaments
If we won against South Korea, we are in the medal rounds. If we won against China, we could have avoided playing South Korea early in the tournament. If we have decided early to bring in Jordan Clarkson as one of our players, he could have had enough time to jell with this team. If we have been clear on which team to bring to the Asian Games, the team could have prepared early.
Clearly, a lot of “If’s” that could have made a difference in our basketball campaign in the Asian Games. Instead, we are relegated to the classifications phase for rankings. Can we salvage fifth place? Hopefully we still can, I still believe that there is still more fight left in our players.
What is also clear is that we start working on the gains of this tournament. We still showed them that we are a team to reckon with. That they should not take us lightly in the game that we are so crazy about.
The schedule of our participation in these regional tournaments are already set, 2019 SEA Games, 2022 Asian Games. We can start preparing the team right after the turnover ceremonies. There are a lot of players itching to play for the country. If we still want Jordan Clarkson to don the Pilipinas jersey, get the paper work and permissions ready as early as the end of the final buzzer of the basketball game. He has already shown his commitment and passion to play for the country.
We can always go out, fight tooth and nail, just to succeed but if we don’t prepare and put in the work, we will still end up out of contention for medals and glory.
These are things we can already work on to avoid another what if scenario every time we participate in these tournaments.
To our country’s sports leaders, we, common Filipinos, are one with you in anticipation, in getting our flag raised and our national anthem sung. We see a clear vision of where we want our country every time we compete, hopefully, we are all looking at the same direction.