Chinese cage coach impressed with RP cagers’ credentials

BUSAN–It’s either he was telling the truth or was simply saying what we wanted to hear. But Wang Fei, head coach of the Chinese national basketball team, looks impressed with the Philippine team.

"Philippines is a very good team," said Wang, a veteran of the 1990 Beijing Asian Games who towered over a couple of Filipino scribes in a walking interview inside the highly restricted Busan Asian Games athletes’ village here Friday.

The Chinese coach had just come out of the dining area for lunch, a couple of minutes behind his cagers Yao Ming, Batere Menk, Gong Xiao Bing and Liu Yudong, when we caught up with the elusive figure and immediately sought an interview.

"What country are you?" he first asked. "Okay. But fast. We have a game," was his next reply.

Then, he gladly talked about the basketball competition in this year’s Asian Games where the Chinese once again are heavily favored to win the gold.

"We must win the Asian Games. We have to win. We have to," he said before he was asked to react to reports that all’s not well in his team, and that his coaching job is on the line following their dismal finish in the recent World Championship in Indianapolis.

"My team? No truth. No truth. No trouble," he said.

Then he shifted back to the Asian Games where he expects a tougher competition from regional rivals Korea (North and South), Japan, and the former Russian republics.

"Every team has its own style," said Wang, quite fluent with his English. "Korea has many shooters and has the quickness."

And the Philippines?

"Philippines, too. It’s a very strong team because it has many professional players not like the others. It’s a very strong team. They have the experience to play the game," he said. — Abac Cordero