LA Tenorio still proud of Gilas despite falling short in Olympic qualifier

LA Tenorio declined to grant and interview to the media right after Gilas Pilipinas lost to New Zealand and bowed out of the FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament on Wednesday night.

The veteran point guard was one of the last cuts in the national team roster, but he still attended the games and showed his support to his brothers in serving the flag.

He was understandably as upset as those who stepped on the court, but he finally broke his silence when sought by reporters after Barangay Ginebra's tuneup game against GlobalPort on Thursday.

"Obviously, down lahat dahil frustrated. Sana ganito, sana ganyan, pero in the end, they still fought hard," Tenorio said. "Sinabi ko lang sa kanila na lumaban naman sila hanggang sa huli."

The Gin Kings' guard said he did not know what factored in the heartbreaking loss against the Tall Blacks, but he felt that Gilas had a chance against France earlier in the tournament.

The national team could not get into rhythm against the Kiwis owing to foul trouble and turnovers, but they arguably played much better against the fancied Les Bleus squad anchored by Tony Parker, Boris Diaw, and Nando de Colo.

"In the end, they fought hard and I'm proud of my teammates sa Gilas," Tenorio said. "Nakita ko kung paano sila nagpakahirap. Alam ko kung paano sila naghirap for this competition."

Tenorio lauded his teammates for making the sacrifices for the national team, which practiced every Monday since November and journeyed to Europe for a training camp.

"Nagkulang lang talaga, maraming kulang sa nangyari. It's a learning experience again for us as a Philippine team," he said. — RSJ, GMA News