BCAP mag-uusap tungkol sa Serbian coach

Sa pagpirma ni Ser-bian coach Rajko Toroman ng isang three year contract sa Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) bilang project director, isang pulong ang agad na itinakda ng Basketball Coaches Association of the Philippines (BCAP) sa Lunes. 

Tatalakayin sa nasabing pulong, ayon kina BCAP president Chito Narvasa at Yeng Guiao ng Red Bull, ang kanilang magiging aksyon ukol sa ginawa ng SBP at ng executive director nitong si dating PBA Commissioner Noli Eala. 

“The BCAP has agreed in previous years that foreign coaches are supposed to be the least of our options. We must be sure that a foreign coach must have a new system na hindi pa natin alam,” sabi kahapon ni Guiao, dating pangulo ng nasabing asosasyon.

Si Tim Cone ng Alaska, kasalukuyang miyembro ng BCAP kagaya ni Norman Black ng Ateneo De Manila University, ang huling foreign coach na umagapay sa RP Team noong 1998 Asian Games. 

“I understand that Chito Narvasa was supposed to meet Noli bago ang pirmahan ngunit nalaman namin na pumirma na pala si Toroman without us being consulted,” sabi ni Guiao kay Eala na dati na niyang nakakabanggaan sa PBA. “Nililito tayo ni Noli kahit isa siyang abugado pa.”

Ayon kay Eala, si Toroman na ang iluluklok ni SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan bilang national mentor simula sa 2009 matapos ang kampanya ng RP 5 ni Guiao sa 2009 FIBA-Asia Men’s Championships, ang qualifying meet para sa 2010 World Basketball Championships sa Istanbul, Turkey.

Sakali mang kunin bilang national coach, sinabi ni Boyet Fernandez ng Sta. Lucia na dapat kumuha si Toroman ng mga Filipino coaches sa kanyang coaching staff.

“If the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas thinks that a foreign coach is better than a local coach, it is their prerogative,” ani Fernandez. “But if they hire one, they should put local coaches as assistants so that we can learn the system.” (Russell Cadayona)