Prized conversations
I WOULD certainly consider as prized conversations my chats with some people at the official book launching of When We Were Champions last Sunday afternoon.
This is the book that took former sportswriting colleague Noel Albano 10 years to finish. Well, he covered from pre-war to 1972, the last time the Philippines qualified in basketball in the Olympics in Munich, Germany, but it is worth the wait for serious Philippine basketball fans.
Veteran sportscaster Sev Sarnenta, who also helped Norl with his book, took the lead for this event, together Dr. Rico Mesina, a radiologist by profession, a collector of basketball memorabilia and founder of the Basket vault on line chat group.
Venue was the sports-themed Hobby Stadium of Stephen Go in Dona Hemady in Quezon City.
And since the book talks of the past and glorious years of local basketball from the Far Eastern Games to the early 70s, the invited guests came from 60s and 70s, the trio of beanpole Jimmy Mariano, speedster Yoyong Martirez, and Ed Roque plus Atty. Alex Padilla, son of the illustrious national cager and lawyer Ambrosio Padilla.
But my first conversation was with Sev and Noel, and what else could be the topic than basketball, what with the on going Asian Games in China and the recent FIBA World Cup we hosted.
I posed this question, do we continue pursuing our dream of qualifying in the Olympics or refocus our direction to our part of the globe, Asia, which we used to lord the field, and come up with our best efforts in the FIBA Asia, the Asian Games, and the SEA Games.
Sev says continue with aspiring for an Olympic slot, Noel agrees but added that what we should stop is pursuing dreams of being an Olympic power team, me, I have long been saying forget the Olympics.
If it comes, it comes, but go for a top 4 finish at least in FIBA Asia and the Asian Games, champion always at the SEA Games.
Noel added that the country became complacent in basketball, believing we were still the best, when the other Asian countries we used to beat with eyes closed started improving their level of basketball, relying on American coaches initially
Well we did follow as what Danding Cojuangco did, importing Anerican coach Ron Jacobs who I believe contributed to bettering our coaches.
Sev added that the Filipino players’ culture of putting emphasis on the individual style like the Americans do, has contributed to our failure to keep pace with the rest of the world.
Bottom line for all of us, we still cannot beat the best European teams, the North American squads, and the top South American teams, as it is, we are having difficulties winning against our Asian neighbors.
And talking of major changes in the way the game is played now, that is what I told Jimmy in our own talks, that he was a center but that his points came from the outside, in a way, he was advanced for his time, and he agreed.
Yoyong, on the other hand, shared his thoughts on importing Fil- Ams, saying he is against the idea and believes in staying All- Filipino.
Talks turned into the lighter side, not surprising because Yoyong became a movie comedian, and a politician too, but not Jimmy as he became a coach with a PBA title under his belt, when I asked Yoyong who really won in his 100m duel in the track with Freddie Webb, they were acknowledged as the fastest players then in the MICAA.
Of course Yoyong won explaining he used to be a track runner before shifting to basketball.
But what he crowed about was the fact in the 1972 Olympics, they beat Australia and Senegal to claim we were the best not only in Asia but also in Africa.
What he decried was the fact that when he was playing for the national team, even in thecearly years of the PBA, there was no money and the national team players made a lot of sacrifices and spent a lot of personal money too for veing on the team, but he was proudest of that moment in his career.
I also exchanged view with other guests like Enerson Colina, Marck Sotelo, and PWD vlogger Julian Lapid who I admire for his living his dream despite his condition.
As I was doing this, I learned Gilas beat Iran by one point to stay in the hunt in the basketball competition, can you imagine the outcry if we lost?
Or had EJ Obiena, bless him, not won the gold in polevault?
Oh well.
