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World-class caging seen as RP Invitational gets underway


Three Olympic coaches, two local mentors with international experience and some of the finest professional and amateur players all in one pocket tournament. This is definitely a treat to all basketball-loving Filipinos. Five teams will take center stage beginning Thursday as the Smart Philippine Invitational Challenge gets underway at the Ninoy Aquino Stadium. Our very own Smart-Gilas national developmental pool, crowd favorite Barangay Ginebra, powerhouse Philippine Basketball Association team Talk N Text, FIBA World Championship-bound Jordan national team and Chinese club team Dongguan will take part in this event. Toroman, who led Iran to its first FIBA Asia Championship in 2007 and its first Olympic stint two years ago, has been tasked to lead the amateur-laden Philippine national team aspirants back to the Olympic Games for the first time since 1972. As impressive -- if not more impressive -- as Toroman’s credentials are the coaching resume of Mario Palma and Brian Goorjian. Palma, a Portugese coach who led Angola to three straight FIBA Africa crown, will call the shots for a Jordan squad that booked a berth to the World Basketball Championship in Turkey next year. Goorjian is regarded as the most successful coach in Australian basketball history, having spearheaded the team to two Olympic stints – 2004 in Athens and 2008 in Beijing. He was a six-time Australian NBL Coach of the Year while winning six league championships and 13 finals appearances. The two foreign coaches have high respect for Filipino players. "The Philippines can be great in the world, but for what I see, if they play for spectators and not play to win games, it will be very difficult. But I think coach Rajko is going to change that," said Palma. Goorjian is no stranger to Pinoy basketball either. He has faced RP squads beefed up by all-pro players, but the Smart-Gilas team remains a mystery to him. "I haven't seen this Philippine team. The teams we played against before (when I was coached the Sydney Kings) were tough and I think this batch will be very competitive with this lineup," he said. Former national team coaches Chot Reyes of Talk N Text and Jong Uichico of Ginebra had a taste of international basketball. Reyes was coach of the RP five to the 2007 FIBA Asia while Uichico, a member of the 1984 Northern Consolidated team that won the FIBA Asia Chmapions Cup title in Ipoh, Malaysia, was mentor of the RP quintet in the 2002 Busan Asian Games. They will use this pocket tournament to fine tune their respective squads in the ongoing PBA Fiesta Cup where they have strong chances of making it all the way. The Tropang Texters and the Gin Kings will play no bearing games in the pocket tournament, but that doesn't mean they will become laid carpets against either the visitors or the Smart-Gilas squad. "We're going to treat this scrimmage seriously and toughen the team up for the semifinals and hopefully the finals," said Talk N Text team manager Virgil Villavicencio. Lim, Uichico’s former teammate and now Ginebra team manager, said the players will be having a hard time adjusting to the FIBA rules. "It's going to be tough for us adjusting to the FIBA rules but we will try to give our opponents a good competition," said Lim. Ginebra takes on Jordan in the first game at 4:30 p.m. A brief opening ceremonies will follow next before Smart Gilas tackles Dongguan in the main game at 7 p.m. Games will be shown on a delayed basis on QTV Channel 11 from June 26 to 29 from 2 to 5 p.m. - RCJ, GMANews.TV

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