RP Smart Gilas team in action

**chua_riwap** · September 27th, 2011 01:23 AM

satisfied naman pala si manay MVP sa 4th eh.......

at saka kelangan daw ng matatangkad na PG. ayaw na nya ng bansot.

http://sports.inquirer.net/17995/mvp...sketball-dream

MVP not giving up on Olympic basketball dream

BEIJING—One failed mission hasn’t diminished the passion of basketball’s Most Valuable Patron in wanting to see the national team play in the Olympics someday. In fact, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan takes inspiration fromSmart Gilas Pilipinas’ best finish in over two decades in the Asian championship.

The national squad of head coach Rajko Toroman failed to secure a slot in the 2012 London Olympics, finishing fourth in the recent 26th Fiba Asia Championship after losing the bronze medal tiff to South Korea on Sunday in Wuhan, China. “It’s a big improvement in recent years,” said Pangilinan, popularly known as MVP. “We found out that the program is working. We’re now fourth in Asia.”
By reaching the semifinals, the Philippines boosted its Fiba world ranking and drew the respect of its rivals, including London-bound and new Asian champion China.

China coach Bob Donewald said in an interview, after demolishing Lebanon in the quarterfinals, that he would rather have Jordan as opponent in the finals than take his chances with the Philippines. The Chinese went on to capture the gold, but not after pulling offa hair-raising 70-69 escape act against the Jordanians.

The telecommunications and utilities magnate said Smart Gilas had been blessed with the luck of the draw at the start.
“In a way, God favored us because we got into a good group. We also got lucky when Marcio (Lassiter) and Chris (Lutz) were allowed to play and we won all our games in the second round,” said Pangilinan. The Nationals, a bunch of talented amateurs boosted bya naturalized center in Marcus Douthit and four seasoned players from the PBA, won handily against Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals but hit a roadblock in Jordan in the semifinals.

The big boss at PLDT-Smart, Meralco and Maynilad said there are some weak spots in Smart Gilas that should be addressed when the SBP continues the program geared toward the 2013 Asian championship. “I’m not a coach or a player but there are certain weaknesses that I saw in this tournament that we have to seriously look into,” said Pangilinan. “If you ask me, there should be changes with the players. It’s not a criticism on the players that we have now. They tried their best and I should thank them, especially those on the program for three years and those from the PBA who made the sacrifice.” Team captain Chris Tiu, JV Casio, Mark Barroca,Mac Baracael, Japeth Aguilar, Dylan Ababou and Jason Ballesteros have been with Smart Gilas since the Olympic drive began late 2008.

“I think our point guards are small,” said Pangilinan. “Not to say that our point guards are not good, but I believe that we need bigger point guards.” Jordan has the 6-foot-5 Osama Daghles while 6-3 Liu Wei and 6-7 Sun Yue, a former Los Angeles Laker, run the backcourt for China. Pangilinan said the SBP would rebuild the team around Douthit and add a couple of big guys in 7-footer Greg Slaughter and 6-9 Junmar Fajardo from Cebu. Another area up for review is the coaching staff headed by Toroman, whose contract ends this weekend. “We have to look at what’s good for the team in preparation for 2013,” said the tycoon. “No matter what people say, I’m still determined to support the program and see one day the Philippines in the Olympics, however long it takes, be it in 2016,2020 or even beyond.”

The Philippines last vied in the Olympics in Munich 1972 with a team bannered by Robert Jaworski and William Adornado.

**chua_riwap** · September 27th, 2011 01:43 AM

With heads unbowed » The Dean's Corner by Quinito Henson | Sports » philstar.com

Champion China clinched the Asian slot in the Olympics while runner-up Jordan and South Korea will try to make it to London via the qualifiers. Gilas will advance to the qualifiers if either Jordan or South Korea decides to skip the tournament.

o di ba....may pag-asa pa gilas.

**Ry_Tower** · September 27th, 2011 09:59 AM

^ yan talaga pangarap na lang!

**james00112233** · September 28th, 2011 10:46 AM

hindi pa rin talaga sumusuko

Philippines submits bid to host 2013 FIBA-Asia Championship For Men - Sports - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

**Ry_Tower** · September 28th, 2011 11:00 AM

^ hehe, keep on fighting nga naman. Labs ni MVP eh.

**baludoy** · September 28th, 2011 12:10 PM

even if we didn't get the chance to enter the "wildcard" round, at the very least we've increased our stock in the fiba rankings

[SIZE=3]Philippines enters top 50 in latest FIBA world rankings[/SIZE]
Tuesday, September 27, 2011 · 12:11 am

A pair of fourth-place finishes in two tough FIBA tournaments put the Philippine men’s basketball team in the top 50 in the latest ranking of FIBA.

The Philippine five, known as the the SMART-Gilas Pilipinas national team, jumped from 53rd to 45th (10.8 accumulated points) in the latest ranking by the world governing body in basketball.

That was a +8 jump by the Filipino dribblers who finished fourth in both the FIBA Asia Champions Cup, which the country hosted, and the recently concluded FIBA Asia Championship for Men in Wuhan, China.

The country’s rise in the ranking was the third highest among the affiliate members of FIBA.

The Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia was the best mover with +14, jumping from No. 47 to No. 33 (25 pts) while Great Britain had a +13 increase in its ranking to occupy the No. 43 spot (12 pts) , only two spots ahead of the Philippines.

United States of America remains the No. 1 ranked basketball team in the world followed by FIBA Europe champion Spain. Argentina occupied the third spot.

The country’s significant move in the FIBA ranking showed the efforts being done by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to put the country back as part of Asia’s elite.

SBP is being headed by Manny V. Pangilinan, who made a bold announcement that he won’t stop in chasing the Olympic dream as his gift for the basketball-loving nation.

Though they fell short in their target in the 26th FIBA Asia event, the SMART-Gilas quintet gained the respect of the field with including the top FIBA officials led by President Ivan Mainini and Secretary-General Patrick Baumann.

Philippines enters top 50 in latest FIBA world rankings | InterAKTV

**111prez** · September 28th, 2011 12:11 PM

Originally Posted by james00112233

hindi pa rin talaga sumusuko

Philippines submits bid to host 2013 FIBA-Asia Championship For Men - Sports - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News

tanong dyan ay sino ang maglalaro?

kung sa pba na naman huhugot yan, we all know what happened since we tried sending pba players to international tourneys

i say develop a real program locally first then have the gall to host and win

**james00112233** · September 29th, 2011 12:56 PM

PBA to take active role in forming national team
09/28/2011 | 11:04 PM
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The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), after witnessing that with the right program the country can be an Asian cage power again, has decided to take a more active role in the formation of the national team.

Nothing is definite yet on the PBA executive committee's proposal where a 16-player pool, composed of the league's best players, will be formed to beef up future national teams. The proposal awaits the PBA board's approval.

The plan was brought up in the aftermath of Smart Gilas-Pilipinas' modest fourth-place finish in the recent FIBA-Asia Championship For Men.

The achievement was the best by any Philippine men's team in the biennial meet since a similar placing was attained by an Alvin Patrimonio-led and Joe Lipa-coached squad in 1987.

"This was brought up during the Wuhan Games," said Ginebra alternate governor Robert Non, one of the PBA board members who watched and cheered Gilas during the 11-day FIBA-Asia meet.

"It was just an idea and nothing is final yet. We still need the board's approval," Non added.

Non was joined by B-MEG's Rene Pardo, chairman Mamerto Mondrago of Rain or Shine, vice-chairman JB Baylon of Powerade, PBA commissioner Chito Salud and media bureau chief Willie Marcial during the short trip that allowed them to watch Gilas' second round games against Jordan and Japan.

"We will not be joining minor tournaments," said Salud. "The 16 players will only be allowed to play during the months of August and September when our schedule permits."

"The purpose of this is because we don't want to be caught napping," Salud added. "We have to sit down with SBP (Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas). We have to know SBP's plans over the next two years."

Meralco's Asi Taulava along with Talk 'N Text players Jimmy Alapag, Ranidel de Ocampo and Kelly Williams reinforced Gilas in the FIBA-Asia tournament, a 2012 London Olympics qualifying event. — JVP, GMA News

sumali pa ang PBA kung sa month lang ng August at September sila pwede...

PBA to take active role in forming national team - Sports - GMA News Online - Latest Philippine News