Smart Gilas vs Qatar (Al Arabi) Fiba-Asia Champions Cup Quarterfinals

It will be Smart Gilas vs Qatar (Al Arabi) in the quarterfinals of the Fiba-Asia Champions Cup. Yes the boys of SBP Team Pilipinas showed winning attitude and mental toughness to beat Kuwait yesterday 98 - 93. Although it was no bearing game, it is still better to notch a victory - in order for the team to have that winning habit. Next opponent for Smart Gilas is the Al Arabi team of Qatar. It has a 2-2 record in the competiton.

CJ Giles will play today as he only suffered a strained quadriceps according to the team's conditioning coach. He is needed esp in rebounding as Smart Gilas got outrebounded by its opponents in the tourney so far.

Smart Gilas vs Qatar (Al Arabi) 7:00pm Philippine Time. The Fiba-Asia site got it wrong. Smart Gilas is A2 as it placed second in Group A not A3 so its sked is the second to the last game tonight.

Coach Rajko Toroman is instilling competitive fire and winning attitude to his wards. Yes I love that.

"Even when I took the final time-out my message to the players was ‘we can either die like warriors or die like chickens.’ I’m proud my boys came out warriors."

Thank you for choosing our country to part your basketball knowledge Mr. Toroman.

You know what's unbelievable? Our team made up of amateurs have defeated import-powered professional squads from other countries! Yes, Smart Gilas defeated Kuwait without CJ Giles and playing against their reinforcements Harris and Box.


Update: FIBA Not Following Its Own Schedule
I was surprised when the game between Smart Gilas and Qatar started much later at 9:00 pm instead of 7:00 which is in the sked signed for by the Fiba-Asia head himself. Unbelievable. See for yourself Match No. 23

Laos Ok'd Basketball for SEA Games; Rajko Toroman Team Pilipinas

After initial hesitation, Laos has reportedly approved basketball as one of the sports in the upcoming SEA games next year. Many Philippine sports officials are stated to have worked hard to have basketball reinstated after the Laos South East Asian Games Organizing Committee excluded the sport months ago - citing poor infrastructure and low interest. Besides the country, Thailand the reigning women's champion, also lobbied to reinstate Basketball.

Laos was being practical. It cannot afford to organize the costly sport of basketball. Thankfully, Fiba-Asia offered to foot the operational expenses. I'm not sure if it will help in the construction of the basketball gym though.

It will be Rajko Toroman's Team Pilipinas which will represent the country in the Laos South East Asian Games next year. This is good news to the squad as it seeks more competition to prepare for the 2011 Fiba-Asia Men's Championship.

Speaking of 2011 Fiba-Asia Men's Championship, the Philippines is making a strong bid to host it. Yesterday, news reports stated Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas is willing to partner with the PBA to build a new basketball facility just for the said event! I haven't read any response from the PBA yet. I'll keep you guys updated.

Coach Yeng Guiao Bodyslams Rajko Toroman - in Words Again

Team Pilipinas Coach Yeng Guiao was quoted by the Manila Bulletin on its October 4, 2008 issue as saying to the effect money paid to SBP-backed Coach Toroman is better off spent on finding a foreign reinforcement.

"Kung may pera naman pala sila (SBP), di sana sa pagkuha na lang ng 7-footer na pwede i-naturalize for the national team ginamit," Guiao said to the newspaper.

Yeng Guiao who is also busy fighting Ed Panlilio in Pampanga is now waging a two-front battle (something even the United States Armed Forces isn't sure it could carry out) this time with foreign coaches esp. Toroman.

"Hiring foreign coach should be the least option. Under Philippine labor law, foreign worker can be done only if there is no available in our country and provided he or she has new technology or new system that is not yet known in our country."

Coach Yeng said he is not totally against foreign coaches provided there is really a transfer of technology and the role of Toroman clarified.

Is it really better off spending money on a foreign reinforcement than a foreign coach?

In the short term, it is but in the long term a foreign coach is more beneficial. Toroman's job is not just a coach, he is also a teacher and skills coach. The knowledge gain by the players will be enormous and cannot be quantified. Can one measure the benefit endowed to us by a mentor? Hiring a foreign mercenary is good but after the tournament what? Did we learn anything from him?

What new technology does Toroman bring?

Indepth knowledge of FIBA rules, strategies, tactics and nuances, it is something no PBA coach has. Yes it can be augmented by study and seminars but Toroman has practical knowledge already. Our coaches are experts but in NBA or American type of basketball which is effective if we are as athletic and tall as the Americans but our basketball players are midgets compared to competition - and poor shooters. That's the reason why Toroman is here to teach Filipino coaches so one of them could replace him in the future.

Gee, I wonder why it is okay to hire imports but not a foreign coach. In fact I think imports only encourage the locals to be lazy and dump all the work to the foreigner thus deteriorating the quality of professional leagues. College teams nowadays are filled with foreigners I wonder why nobody's giving a hoot.


In the news today, Coach Yeng Guiao is impressed with Solomon Mercado, Jared Dillinger, and Jason Castro plans to include them to his pool.

“Gabe Norwood is a given, being a member of the RP team to the last FIBA Asia championship. Among the new faces, Jared Dillinger, Solomon Mercado and Jason Castro are those who deserve a second look. They should be given a chance to be considered although they’re in for a tough competition considering the talents that we have in their spots." Guiao told Philstar.com

In a great move, the PBA also plans to invite Japeth Aguilar, the first Philippine-born basketball player in the US NCAA Division 1, in the pool.

It's about TIME!

RAJKO TOROMAN TO COACH TEAM PILIPINAS FOR THE LONDON OLYMPICS

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) hired Serbian Rajko Toroman to coach the Philippine national team to the 2012 London Olympics according to an article from the Philippine Star. The contract will take effect on October 15. His job is to handle the non-PBA national team and to assist in the development of local coaches. Coach Toroman will go to Cebu to scout for more talents. So far the opposition hasn't railed the decision at the moment.

The PBA will stop representing the country after 2010 World Championship. So we will be the only basketball-loving country in the world whose professional league doesn't want to represent their country...