Draw crucial factor in RP 5 drive
MANILA, Philippines – SBP executive director Noli Eala said yesterday the draw for the 25th FIBA-Asia Championships in Tianjin, China, will be held on June 17 and hoped the country’s luck will change after landing in two straight “Groups of Death” in recent tournaments.
The Philippines will try to book one of two tickets reserved for Southeast Asia in the SEABA qualifiers in Medan, Indonesia, on June 6-10. If coach Yeng Guiao’s Powerade team winds up first or second, it will advance to play in the FIBA-Asia joust on Aug. 6-16 with the top three finishers gaining slots in the World Championships in Turkey next year.
The venue for the draw is still undecided but it may be held in Komaki, Japan, where the East Asian qualifiers are scheduled on June 10-14. Expected to play in the tournament are China, South Korea, Chinese-Taipei, Mongolia, Hong Kong and host Japan.
“We’re hoping for a break in the draw,” said Eala. “We were unlucky in the draw for the last FIBA-Asia Championships in Tokushima and the recent FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Jakarta. The draw is a crucial factor. If we’re bracketed in a strong group, it’ll be a struggle just making it to the quarterfinals.”
In Tokushima two years ago, the Philippines was in the so-called “Group of Death” with eventual champion Iran, defending titlist China and Jordan. The national team beat China, 79-74, but lost to Iran, 75-69, and Jordan, 84-76, and eventually placed ninth despite winning its last four games over Syria, 107-100, in overtime, India, 104-89, Kuwait, 89-58, and China in a rematch, 78-76.
In Jakarta a few weeks ago, the Philippines was bracketed with Iran, Lebanon, Korea and Kuwait. A defeat to Qatar in the quarterfinals eliminated the Philippines from advancing to the semis.
“It was tough playing Iran and Lebanon at the start,” said Eala. “Iran later won the title and Lebanon beat Qatar for third place. Against Qatar, we were down by 10 with 5 1/2 minutes left, down by three with two minutes to go and down by one with about 1 1/2 minutes remaining. We had a chance to take the lead but we lost possession on a bad pass. Qatar missed two shots but they kept getting the offensive rebound until finally, they hit a three-pointer. The lead shot up to four and we took a bad panic shot in return. That did it for us. Still, we learned a lot in the tournament. We definitely got better. I think we’re on the right track. We finished second in our group and made it to the quarterfinals. If we made it to the semis, we would’ve been very, very happy and if we made it to the finals, it would’ve been a bonus.”
Eala, who leaves for Tokyo tomorrow for the Smart Gilas’ four-game exhibition series with the Japanese national team, will meet PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios and special assistant to the commissioner Willie Marcial to discuss the SEABA tournament after he returns this Sunday.
“We have video, scouting reports and player profiles for our Powerade Philippine team coaching staff,” said Eala in a text to Barrios yesterday. “Hopefully, it will help for FIBA-Asia in August. Let’s meet either June 1 or 2 so we can include Japan in our discussions. I know you’ll demolish SEABA. I will be in Medan for one or two days just to make sure all is OK with FIBA and our team.”
The PBA Board of Governors plans a special meeting in Medan during the SEABA Championships as the league throws its full support behind the national team’s drive for Tianjin.
So far, eight countries have qualified for the 16-nation FIBA-Asia Championships – host China for East Asia, Kuwait and Qatar for the Gulf, Kazakhstan and India for Middle Asia and Jordan, Iran and Lebanon for West Asia. Still up for grabs are two slots in East Asia, two slots in the Gulf, two slots in Middle Asia and two slots in Southeast Asia.
The three countries vying for two available slots in East Asia are Japan, Chinese-Taipei and South Korea. Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates are tipped to make it in the Gulf while Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan will battle for two slots in Middle Asia. The Philippines, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia and Laos will play for two slots in Southeast Asia.
Coach Rajko Toroman’s Smart Gilas squad will see action as a guest team in the next PBA Philippine Cup but the results will not be counted in the standings.
“We’re following what the PBA did in the ’80s when the national team, with coach Derick Pumaren, was first brought in to play no-bearing games but in the next conference, with coach Ron Jacobs, the national team’s results were counted and they even won the championship in 1985,” said Marcial.
The Powerade squad will play in the Jones Cup this July after the SEABA Championships and before the FIBA-Asia tournament.
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