Pumaren airs side on 'conflict of interest'

There was no concerted effort to exclude players of De La Salle schools from recruitment for the Philippine youth team, and there was no conspiracy to recruit players from the youth team for the Green Archers.

This was former youth team head coach Franz Pumaren’s reaction to a column in yesterday’s issue of The STAR quoting an unnamed source in the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas who implied conflict of interest on his part in accepting the job. Pumaren came under fire a few months ago for leaving the team at the FIBA-Asia Youth Championships in Iran to coach an Ateneo-La Salle game.

“We wanted to get David Webb and LA Revilla (of De La Salle),” an emotional Pumaren confirmed to The STAR. “But they were born in 1989, so they were too old. We needed players born in 1990.” This was seconded by Philippine youth team manager Joel Lopa, who recalled the try-outs for the team. “I remember we had two players from La Salle-Zobel who were with us until the final cut,” said Lopa, representing the sponsoring TAO Corporation. “But they were just incoming third year, so they were too young. I even asked why Maui Villanueva (of DLSU) didn’t try out. I was told he was too old.”

On the other hand, Pumaren, the most successful college basketball coach today, was also rumored to have planned on purposely using his position as head coach of the youth team to recruit players for the multi-titled De La Salle Green Archers, a charge both gentlemen deny. At least four members of the team have committed to play for the Green Archers next UAAP season.

“It’s really unfair to accuse coach Franz of that,” Lopa asserts. “Gab Banal, for example, already committed to playing for La Salle even before he tried out. He could have played in the UAAP and made a difference already last season. And besides, there are other youth team players who will suit up for other schools like Ateneo and FEU. He’s a coach, so he’s going to make his pitch.”

There were also at least one player and an assistant coach from another UAAP school who withdrew from the team after initially committing to joining. Regarding the issue of recruiting for his alma mater, Pumaren said it wasn’t even a matter ot talent or accomplishment, but of character.

“If the players or their parents don’t trust me or like me as a person, then they wouldn’t even want to play for me. They wouldn’t try out. But they’ve seen the real me,” Pumaren explained. “Besides, when the SBP appointed me, I said I was going to make my pitch for La Salle. It’s the parents who will decide, anyway. I can’t force them to play for me.”

Pumaren also added that everyone in basketball comes from some school that is inevitably successful in the sport at some level, so it will be difficult to be constantly looking for someone who’s neutral. Both Pumaren and Lopa are hoping that the accusations will be put to rest, and that critics would ascertain their facts before making such statements against people just trying to contribute to the sport.