Manila: The Philippines is looking at no less than retaining the men's basketball title at the 33rd Southeast Asian (SEA) Games set Dec. 9 to 20 in Thailand. Norman Black, the multi-titled former Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) coach, said they are going to do everything possible to achieve the goal.
According to Philippines News Agency, Black emphasized the need for quick and effective team formation due to the short preparation time. "Our preparations are going to be short that's why we need to get guys who can play together very quickly and who can play together very well," Black stated during the Philippine Sportswriters Association Forum at the conference hall of the Rizal Memorial Sports Complex in Manila.
Black faces the challenge of coordinating schedules for PBA players, collegiate athletes, and those playing as imports in Japan and Korea. "Once the team is formed, we will be ready," Black assured. "It's gonna be tough. It's not gonna be easy. But we still have the talent to win the Southeast Asian Games."
Black, who led the Philippine team to gold in the 2011 Jakarta SEA Games with players like Greg Slaughter, Kiefer Ravena, Chris Tiu, and Ray Parks, is optimistic about the current lineup. Naturalized players Justin Brownlee and Ange Kouame, who have previously contributed to the team's success, are already committed to the Thailand games.
Additional players who have pledged to participate include Ray Parks, Matthew Wright, Remy Martin, Dave Ildefonso, Jason Brickman, and Veejay Pre. Black mentioned reaching out to other potential team members but withheld their names pending confirmation.
Once the initial pool of players is confirmed, Black plans to hold practices every Monday and in the days leading up to their departure for Thailand. The team will engage in intensive practice sessions for eight to nine consecutive days.
Black noted that winning the gold this year would differ from their victory 14 years ago in Indonesia, citing improvements across Southeast Asian teams. "It's a lot different now. Things have changed at how teams are recruiting players now. Things are different in the sense that everybody has improved in Southeast Asia," he said. "But the goal will definitely be to win the gold. There's a lot of work to be done."
Meanwhile, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Erika Dy discussed initiatives to further promote basketball in public schools, in collaboration with the Department of Education and Philippine Sports Commission. "Hopefully, we will be signing a memorandum of agreement soon," said Dy.
