Misfortunes continue to hound Nationals
Through the years, misfortunes coming in the form of injuries and other health problems have hounded the Philippine team bound for international competitions, including the present Gilas Pilipinas pool honing up for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
The Nationals have been dealing with this dilemma since competing in the Olympics, Asian Games and continental meets, and it held true even with the PBA-reinforced teams since the pros were allowed to play in 1990 in Beijing Asian Games.
For Gilas Pilipinas coach Tab Baldwin, it comes with the challenge and demand athletes in professional sports have to deal with.
“It happens every single year. Hardly ever in my career have I gone into any season or campaign with a fully healthy team. It’s part and parcel of being in sports, professional sports, and there’s nothing we can do about it,” said Baldwin.
The veteran international coach himself is dealing with an array of health problems to prospective players for the team he’s bringing to battle in the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament in May 5-10 at the MOA Arena in Pasay.
Greg Slaughter, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser and Paul Lee have begged off due to injuries while gunners Marcio Lassiter, Jeff Chan and Ryan Reyes are nursing their own health woes with about a month to go to the start of the last qualifying event for the Rio Olympics.
“I’m not going to sit around crying over spilt milk. Gilas will move on,” Baldwin said.
Baldwin had battled with what he had got in the 2015 FIBA Asia Changsha meet, finishing second to China that became Team Phl’s ticket to the FIBA OQT. Team Phl then missed June Mar Fajardo, LA Tenorio, Japeth Aguilar, Slaughter, Lassiter, Chan and Lee, citing different reasons for their non-inclusion in the tourney.
Health problems have also stymied the bids of the previous national teams from the time of coach Robert Jaworski, Norman Black, Tim Cone, Jong Uichico, Chot Reyes and Yeng Guiao.
Jerry Codiñera was at the peak of his playing career when he had to give up his spot in the first Philippine all-pro team sent to the 1990 Beijing Asian Games due to a kidney problem.
With Benjie Paras, Ramon Fernandez, Chito Loyzaga and Alvin Patrimonio left as the major big men, the Nationals finished second to the host team.
The Black-mentored Phl team to the 1994 Hiroshima Asiad faced a lot more problems, prompting them to tap last-minute reinforcements in Patrimonio, Codiñera, Rey Evangelista, Johnny Abarrientos and then amateur stars Kenneth Duremdes and Marlou Aquino. The team wound up fourth.
Four years later, Bong Hawkins was at his best when hit by a knee injury and missed the Philippine Centennial quintet to the Bangkok Asian Games. The Nationals gained another podium finish, salvaging the bronze.
In 2002, Danny Seigle could have been an unstoppable force for Team Phl in the Busan Asian Games but crashed down with an Achilles tear in a tune-up match with a visiting team in the final stage of their Asiad preparation.
Kelly Williams, the 2008 PBA MVP winner, was the biggest casualty in the Guiao-mentored Phl team to the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship in Tianjin, afflicted with a blood disorder problem.