RP vows to improve fifth place finish

When RP Cebuana Lhuillier starts its campaign at the Jones Cup basketball championship this weekend in Taipei, the team will have two objectives in mind.

According to head coach Dong Vergeire, the first is to learn and learn more as the team did in its recent goodwill series in South Korea, and second, to try and improve the country’s fifth place finish in 2002 when an MBA selection led by now PBA player Rommel Adducul, lost to Japan by two points in the battle for fourth place.

"We still have a long way to go in our preparation for next year’s ABC championships and the SEA Games here in Manila and our exposure in international competitions like the Jones Cup will provide the boys with the needed experience, but this team should be able to spring some surprises in the tournament," said head coach Dong Vergeire.

He also bared the 12-man RP Cebuana Lhuillier team going to Taipei, led by 2003 SEA Games champion team members Ricky Calimag, Dennis Madrid, Celino Cruz and Richie Melencio, ex-PBL players Rolly Menor, Don Villamin, Mark Magsumbol, and Ralph Rivera, and prized rookies 6’9 Samigue Eman from Davao City and Cebuano Jerry Cavan.

The team will also be reinforced by two PBA players from FedEx, Marc Pingris and Omanzie Rodriguez who were lent to the team by team owner Bert Lina as his support for the national squad.

"We know Mr. Lina has been very supportive of Philippine basketball and we welcome this move as a first step towards realizing the unity needed in local basketball, we also look at the PBA as our big brother in basketball," said Danny Francisco, assistant team manager, even as team manager and delegation head Jean Henri Lhuillier proceeds directly to Taipei from the United States where he is at present.