SBP bares Smart-Gilas plan up to Asiad

MANILA, Philippines - It’s a long, hard road to Guangzhou but SBP executive director Noli Eala said yesterday there’s no short cut to success in disclosing the tough Smart-Gilas program that will culminate in coach Rajko Toroman’s Asian Games debut with the national team next year.

Eala said the ultimate goal is for the Philippines to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics and that will mean topping the FIBA-Asia Championships the year before. Manila is bidding to host the FIBA-Asia conclave but faces stiff opposition from Jordan and Lebanon. Jordan was supposed to host the FIBA-Asia tournament this year but was bumped off by China in a late decision. Jordan’s consolation was finishing third in Tianjin and earning an outright ticket to the World Championships in Turkey next year.

Eala said he is now preparing a power-point summary on the hosting details to be presented to the FIBA-Asia Executive Board before the year ends. Aside from the opposition from Jordan and Lebanon, Eala said Manila has to convince FIBA-Asia that there will be no repeat of the disastrous hosting of the 2005 Champions Cup here by the defunct Basketball Association of the Philippines.

Toroman, who earned for Iran a ticket to the Beijing Olympics, has kept busy conducting practices for the Smart-Gilas players not involved in any collegiate league at the moment. They are Chris Tiu, Jason Ballesteros, Jayvee Casio and Mac Baracael. The practices are held jointly with the PBA club Talk ‘N’ Text.

C. J. Giles, a candidate for naturalization, will arrive in Manila either today or tomorrow to join Toroman’s workouts.

The first stop in the long, hard road is a game against the Singapore Slingers, who play in Australia’s National Basketball League, in the Lion City on Sept. 23. Giles, Tiu, Ballesteros, Casio and Baracael will play in the exhibition contest with Talk ‘N’ Text practice cagers Gec Chia, Gilbert Lao, Emerson Oreta and Jonathan Aldave. Japeth Aguilar will be invited to play for Smart-Gilas in Singapore.

Eala said he is also arranging a game against the Singapore national team for Smart-Gilas during the trip.

In October, Smart-Gilas will play as a guest entry in the PBA Philippine Cup. By then, Eala said Toroman’s lineup will be reinforced by collegiate recruits. Eala said the varsity players expected to suit up for Smart-Gilas include Rabeh Al-Hussaini, Junmar Fajardo, Greg Slaughter, Paul Lee, Mark Barroca, Dylan Ababou, J. R. Cawaling, Aldrech Ramos, R. J. Jazul and Rey Guevara.

In December, Eala said Smart-Gilas will compete in the prestigious international invitational Haarlem tournament in Amsterdam. A high-qualtiy US team usually participates in the meet along with pro clubs from Europe. Then, there is another international competition featuring West Asia and Gulf nations in Dubai early next year.

In March, Smart-Gilas will set up training camp in Australia where Toroman hopes to arrange scrimmages with NBL teams. Melbourne-based FIBA president Bob Elphinston and former Australian national coach Brian Goorjian, now an assistant with China, have assured Eala of their cooperation in arranging the camp. That will also be the month when Fil-Ams are expected to enlist. Marshall University senior Chris Lutz, who was here for several weeks recently to join Toroman’s practices, is definitely playing for Smart-Gilas. Other Fil-Ams in the radar are Sean Anthony of McGill University, Stanley Pringle of Penn State and Nico Monachini of Trinity Western.

“We were planning a trip to Australia in April but Mr. Elphinston suggested to advance our trip to March so we can catch the NBL teams still fresh out of their season,” said Eala. “Coach Rajko is interested in learning more about Australia’s defense which is probably the best in international competition today.”

From Australia, the team will relocate to Serbia where Toroman plans to work on offense with crack local squads. Then, it will move to the US for strength and conditioning at Joe Abunassar’s gym. In October, Eala said he hopes to put together a US college Midwest tour similar to what coach Tim Cone arranged for the Centennial national team in 1998.

“Our target is to expose the team to 40 to 50 international games before Guangzhou,” said Eala. “It’s a tall order but that’s what it takes to get ready for the big guns in Asia.”

Eala revealed that if the Powerade team finished at least fourth in Tianjin, he would’ve recommended to the SBP Board to continue with the PBA route for international representation, provided Toroman is the national coach.

“But that would have also meant the PBA agreeing to a season from September to March so April to August could be freed up for international exposure,” explained Eala. “We would’ve been ready to talk to the PBA on a long-term basis except it would’ve meant a radical change in its schedule.”

Eala said six years ago, the idea was broached of the PBA representing the country in international tournaments on a continuing basis if it could alter the season calendar and operate a one-conference format.

“We admire the PBA’s talent level which is the best in Asia but we also realize there are inherent constraints in the PBA representing our country in international competitions,” said Eala. “Of course, now that Smart-Gilas is in the hotseat, there’s a lot of pressure for the team to deliver.”