TNT KaTropa core to banner Philippines in Asiad

MANILA, Philippines – The PBA has decided to tap the core players of the TNT KaTropa Texters to send to the 18th Asian Games in Indonesia in August, readopting an old formula that resulted to a fourth-place finish by Team Philippines in Hiroshima in 1994.

Jayson Castro, Terrence Romeo, RR Pogoy and Troy Rosario lead eight to nine TNT players that will banner the Philippine quintet chasing a first Asiad podium finish since the bronze-medal feat by coach Tim Cone and the Philippine Centennial Team in 1998 in Bangkok.

Gilas Pilipinas is out since it is to play FIBA World Cup qualifying windows in June and in September.

“We faced several challenges (in finding ways to form a competitive team) for the Asian Games,” said PBA board chairman Ricky Vargas in formulating a solution to a tricky problem with the busy schedule of the PBA and the international sorties of the national team.

In less than two hours of meeting, the PBA board solved the problem.

“It’s the best board meeting I had with this board. It’s a quick, fruitful meeting. It’s very productive,” said Vargas, who is also the president of the Philippine Olympic Committee.

Coach Chot Reyes will have the TNT core group, one player from Alaska Milk, probably a pair from the Gilas cadets and Andray Blatche to send to battle in Palembang on August 18-31.

Practically the same formula was used by the Philippines in 1994. Then coach Norman Black steered his San Miguel core players reinforced by Purefoods stars Alvin Patrimonio, Jerry Codinera and Rey Evangelista, and Alaska ace playmaker Johnny Abarrientos to a fourth-place finish behind China, South Korea and Japan.

“Coach Chot is happy (with the PBA decision),” said Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio, who’s also a PBA board member representing the Meralco Bolts ball club.

Several options were looked at, including an all Gilas-cadet team, all-PBA and numerous combinations.

“All cadets? Maybe, that’s not competitive enough even with Andray. Should we send all-PBA, but how do we manage the PBA? And what do we do with the league? Send four from TNT and one from Alaska and yet we’re saying that might not be competitive,” said Vargas.

“In the end, the board reached a consensus to send a core group from one team. With that, we’ll deal only with the schedule of that team (in the PBA). The board decided it’s the most competitive among all the selections we looked at,” said Vargas.

Other TNT core players who may make Team Philippines are Kelly Williams, Jericho Cruz, RR Garcia, Don Trollano and Tony Semerad.

The next challenge is how to insert their names in the initial roster submitted to the Asiad organizing committee.

“Sana maihabol,” said Panlilio, referring to players like Williams, Cruz and Trollano.