Thais vow to humble RP cagers

A crack Thai national team arrived in two batches yesterday and vowed to crowd host Philippines for top honors in the fourth South East Asia Basketball Association (SEABA) men’s basketball championships at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

The Thais are the first visitors to arrive for the April 2-7, seven-nation championships where the Filipinos are the defending champions.

Of the top teams in the South East Asian region, Thailand is the only country which has yet to win a SEABA title.

"This will be our primary motivation. Philippines, Indonesia and Malaysia are very strong but we will surely won’t go down without a good fight," said delegation head Dr. Pratoom Muongmee who accompanied the first batch of Thais aboard a Thai Airways flight TG620.

Muongmee is bringing in practically the same batch that dragged the Centennial Team to a halftime deadlock in the 1998 Asian Games.

Malaysia won the initial staging of the SEABA in Kuala Lumpur in 1995 while Indonesia upset a Danny Ildefonso-led Philippine team for the title in the 1997 Surabaya event. The Philippines won the title in 1999.

As this developed, Tiny Literal, president of the BAP faction involved in the event, appointed businessman-sportsman Alvin Tai Lian as team manager of the Philippine team which is bannered by the best players from the Metropolitan Basketball Association.

Guest of honor of the cagefest supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Bestank, Molten, Rain Forest Mineral Water, Absolute Distilled Water, YKL Color, Baker’s Fair and Orchid Garden Suites, is Executive Secretary Renato de Villa.

Project director of the weeklong championships is Gov. Luis "Chavit" Singson while chairman of the organizing committee is Literal. His co-chair are Philip Juico and Fernando Carrascoso.

Also attending the opening rites are SEABA secretary general Yeoh Choo Hock and the delegation heads of the six participating teams.

Comprising the Philippine team are Homer Se and Omanzie Rodriguez at center, John Ferriols, Romel Adducul, Eddie Laure, Peter Martin and Reuben dela Rosa at forward and Jomar Tierra, Chito Victolero, Edgar Echavez, Chris Calaguio, Junel Mendiola, Stephen Padilla and Vince Hizon at guard.