this lost medal is definitely the hardest one to get over with. yes, we were robbed with some wins in boxing or in other sports but being a basketball crazy nation, the basketball medal is the very special medal that we all want to get.
gilas pilipinas was able to get 2 wins against india in the 2nd round and kazakhstan in the semifinal round but that was not enough. after back to back to back heartbreaking loses against iran, qatar and south korea, it was really hard to see our own team shed tears after the games. this is not what we expected. this is the philippine team that we all expected to get wins!
but despite the losses and the disappointments, i am still proud of these guys. let us understand that andray blatche and jayson williams were in the initial line up submitted. losing dray due to eligibility issues and williams due to injury, the team only have 2 weeks to regroup and have a new game plan. this was when they just came from a 2 month preparation and competion in the 2014 fiba world caup.
these guys miss their families. with only 2 weeks to spend with their families after coming home from the world cup before going back to national team duties and going out of the country again to compete in korea, these guys are sacrificing a lot for the country.
these guys are mentally and physically tired. they cam from a very tough tournament in the fiba world cup. and they played everyday here in the asian games. everyday, you have a new gameplan. everyday they will be banging bodies with guys far much bigger and taller than them. they still train and practice in between games. these takes a toll on these guys even though they are physically fit. they too get drained.
but despite these facts, they were still able to put up a good fight. we never lost by double digits. we always end games close to our adversaries. we always give them a hard time. this is a sign that we are there to compete and we are not pushovers. yes, it is not enough to end the game close. yes, we need to win. but these are the best in asia. we lost to iran by 5. we lost to korea by 2. these are world class teams who also competed in the world cup. our team was only given a short time to practice together. some of the other teams have been together for years. so our chemistry is till on the build up mode. give it time and more games to be played, we will get there and be able to finish games strong.
we were all tuned in last year when this same team gave us the best gift - to end the korean curse and get a ticket to the world cup. until now, when i watch the replay in youtube or some clips in the tv, i can still feel that happy and jubilant feeling that we felt after that win. the whole nation celebrated the victory. we all hailed them as heroes.
we saw them fought their way in the world stage in the fiba world cup. no one expected us to perform that well. even though we won only 1 of our 5 games, the team was able to gain the attention that the philippine basketball deserves. they proved that they belong to that elite group of 24. they gained the respect of the basketball world - and we all are proud.
and now that they are eliminated in the asian games, is this the time that we also bash them and play the blame game? this is the time that they need our support. the gilas program is already starting to reap the fruits of all the sacrifices and investments that we have given these past few years. this is not yet the peak. we definitely deserve better and we can achieve better.
yes, the gilas pilipinas program will be fined tuned after this. they will be back on the drawing borads again. i am hoping that the pba will be more willing to lend players and be more flexible in their schedule to give time for the team to still practice. with the 2015 fiba asia championship and the ticket to the olympic games at stake next, we really need to make improvements and review our performance this year. we need to move on and look forward. forget the losses but bring with us the lessons that we have learned.
but what does gilas pilipinas have that the other teams do not have? yes, we have the PUSO or the heart of the champion but i think the biggest advantage of the gilas pilipinas over the other teams is us - tha fans, fiba can't agree less to this - they confirmed this by giving us most valuable fans. we are so lucky that there are so many filipinos around the world and the team never plays on an empty stadium.
the team draws strength and inspiration from all the fans. yes, they lost but is this the best time to mock them or to bash team? we are one nation and we should support this guys who are sacrificing to put the philippine map in the world stage. i like the way that the tv 5 commentators say suring their coverage, that the name in the front of their jersey is bigger than the name at the back. in each game, they play 100% because it is for the country and not just for them.
i will always support gilas pilipinas because i believe that we deserve better and we can get there. maybe not now but i really think it is sometime real soon. i will always be proud to say that gilas pilipinas plays for me and for the whole country and i support them - win or lose, because they always have the biggest heart in that court.
LABAN PILIPINAS, PUSO!
