Chua to stick as Ginebra team manager; Agustin likely to stay as coach

MANILA, Philippines – Ato Agustin will likely stay as the head coach of the Brgy. Ginebra Kings.

Alfrancis Chua, the Kings’ former coach turned team manager, dismissed talks that he’ll return to his old post in the coming All Filipino Cup.

“No, I’ll stick with it,” Chua told Philstar.com after the Kings bowed out of the season-ending Governors’ Cup with a 101-94 loss marred by another MCL injury on Mark Caguioa on Thursday night.

Read related story: Caguioa hopes to heal fast for All-Filipino Cup

“I love what I’m doing right now. I can help the team. The problem of the players, I can relay to the management. The problem of the coach to the players, I can patch things up. I think it’s much better this way,” explained Chua, who resigned from his head coaching post during the conference break on ‘management issues’ but persuaded to return in team manager capacity.

Chua vouched for Agustin, who never got the Kings going in this very short conference with injuries to key players.

“Okay naman siya eh,” said Chua referring to Agustin.  

“Tinamaan ng injury. Walang malaki, imagine? Wala si Japeth, wala si Kerby and it’s not a joke. Mahirap talaga. Parang ganun din nangyari sa akin nung championship series ko na-injure si Vernon. It’s a different ballgame,” Chua added.  

Read related story: Caguioa asks fans to be patient with coach Ato

The fiery team manager promised the fans for a big Ginebra comeback next season.  

“We’ll see kung anong mangyayari sa amin but again, as a manager of the team, I’ll do everything as what our boss tells me,” Chua said. “I’ll try to fix this team as a fighting team this coming All-Filipino.”

‘Active’ Team Manager

Despite Chua’s new role, he could not contain himself from actively participating from time to time during the course of the games for his love to the team he steered to a Finals appearance last conference.

In their quarterfinal loss, he was the first to rush to Caguioa when he sustained his latest injury during the second quarter.

“Kita ko talaga yung pag-split niya kaya napatakbo kaagad ako. I hope it’s not that serious. Sabi nila mild sprain MCL injury lang,” Chua said.

And as the Kings looked lost without their fallen leader on the floor, Chua did not like what he saw and gave the Kings an earful during the halftime break.

“I was mad. Sinabi ko sa kanila na ‘this is not us’. Galit na ako sa dugout pa lang. I adviced na they should start talking to each other,” said Chua.  

“This is the first time I saw us na tinatambakan ng ganun. Hindi ko matatanggap yun. I know them. As their former coach, I hate losing like that,” Chua said.

Caguioa echoed Chua’s sentiments and told reporters after the game that “you don’t want to hear the stuff coach Al said during halftime.”

Caguioa, however, pointed out to that tongue-lashing as the spark to the Kings’ never-say-die run in the second half.

“That fired up the team,” Caguioa said.

The Kings nearly completed an improbable comeback chopping a once-imposing 25-point lead to just one in the fourth quarter.

“Kahit pagod na, they saw the real Ginebra. At least, nakita mong lumaban. Kinapos lang kami eh. But you can see the fight,” Chua said.

“Bawi na lang sa All Filipino [Cup].”