2006-07-19 17:00:04′,’2006-07-19 09:00:04′,’

by Rock PunzalanArticle updated 19th of July 2006

The Philippines were once the basketball kings of Asia. They were merely invincible – untouchable as one would say. The class that the past Philippine teams showed during the Pre and Post-World War 2 era was simply at par with the world’s best. However, from the glory days came the horrors of Philippine basketball. A great project was initiated to redeem good ground, but it was short-lived. The goal of regaining the great Philippine dream was soon lost after the NCC grassroots basketball program by no less than Coach Ron Jacobs – spearheaded then by Mr. Danding Cojuangco under the Marcos regime was left out in the bitter cold. The downfall of the Marcos Administration also saw the NCC program crumbling down into the dust. It could have been rebuilt but nobody cared – then the BAP era. The BAP program was meant to represent the Philippines as a basketball darkhorse in asia but to no avail. Since BAP stepped in the seen – the RP national teams seemed to be fed into lion’s den, though at times they have produced medals but only against obscure teams or meager opposition. It looked like the BAP just wanted to represent the Philippines for the sake of participation and not the worthy RP basketball team as a whole.

Enter the PBA. The PBA sports the finest Pro talent in the realms of RP basketball – the best in Asia, yet the best they can offer was a short stint to the Asian games. The ABC and the Olympic qualifying tournaments were never represented by the PBA in the past. So to say, almost every team sent to the international meets other than the Asian games were complete humiliation to the RP NT reputation. Imagine underrated college teams and ball clubs sent by BAP to represent the Philippine tri-colors against the best of Asia. The PBA never promised to represent the Philippines in any competition other than the Asian Games. Yet after lessons were learned in the most unforgettable of all upsets in the Busan Asian Games, the PBA wants no less than vindication – a stint in the ABC, Asian games and the Olympic Qualifying Tournaments.Here starts our story. Pilipinas was once the most decorated of all Asian nations in the land of basketball. A mighty powerhouse in the Olympics and the World basketball. Unfortunately, due to extremely growing strong opposition from Asia and lack of a solid grassroots and training program, the Asian dark horse lost its’ glory. NCC tried to redeem it, nevertheless, it was only a short breather. Although there were many detractors and skeptics of the NCC (due to the fact that it included Engelland and company), it’s nature and grassroots program had been utterly overlooked. For a national team to exceed expectations, a solid and continuous program must be implemented. Unfortunately, such meticulous project was not an option in Philippine sports after the Marcos era. After the NCC was dissolved, BAP grabbed the spotlight – then it was nightmare. The PBA finally stepped in the scene – but only in the Asiad. After this was the giant sokor letdown which saw the well-prepared and equipped Centennial Dream Team fall into the lucky howitzer of Korea’s Lee Sang Min.Now we have a PBA powered Philippine Team bent on regaining lost glory – not in the Asian scope – but the Olympics and World Basketball. Surely it was a great day for all Filipinos – until BAP again ruined everything the PBA has prepared for. FIBA suspended the Philippines because of the dispute between the POC (Philippine Olympic Committee – the superior sports body) and the BAP, and directly shut down a shot by the RP team for the Olympic dream. The conflict stemmed through the controversial loss of the BAP-formed national team bound for SEABA led by Boysie Zamar to the infamous Paranaque team. POC suspended BAP due to incompetency and stop it from further representing the country internationally and bring more embarassment to our nation. The BAP however, shunned the directive of POC and remained hard-headed. BAP could have stepped aside for the benefit of the whole nation, but pride and grip to power was too stiff a price to let go of. The result, an indefinite FIBA suspension, thereby rendering any RP National Team unable to represent the country in any FIBA-sanctioned competitions. FIBA could have just accepted POC’s replacement for BAP which were PBFI or Team Pilipinas (both of which are highly credible organizations as supported by the major basketball stakeholders in the Philippines which include the UAAP, NCAA, PBL and PBA), but no one from their ranks care to listen no less. However, FIBA only wants BAP retained – nothing more, nothing less. They only hear the cries of the BAP top honchos for sympathy which leads us to suspect, where do we find fairness here?With the best talent around and the most well-prepared training in the history of PBA this is the biggest disappointment for all the Filipino fans around the world. We Filipinos cannot let this happen. Be the PBFI (the new formed basketball body) or Team Pilipinas be approved or not, the BAP deserves to be suspended, not the PBA-RP team. The Philippine PBA-RP Team is still at par with the best of Asia and it deserves to be included in the international tournaments. In lieu to this, the Filipino fans around the world converge and unite to support the campaign of the PBA-Philippines in regaining the lost glory of the basketball dynamo of Asia.

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