(Asian Games) PH cagers lose Japeth to injury
GUANGZHOU—Japeth Aguilar will leave for Manila today so doctors can immediately examine his right knee.
Butch Antonio, the Smart Gilas national basketball team finance officer, said sports orthopedic surgeon Raul Canlas will check the swollen knee that has sidelined the 6-foot-9 power forward even before the 16th Asian Games here started.
Aguilar’s departure comes on the same day the national cagers face an injury-ravaged Qatar five for their second assignment at 7:15 p.m. at the Huangpu Gymnasium.
Smart Gilas was playing Asian champion Iran as of press time.
The national cagers haven’t won in two meetings against the Qataris since the Smart Gilas program started two years ago.
But their chances look better this time.
Qatar had actually contemplated on pulling out of the Games after injuries downed key players Erfan Ali Saeed, Omar Abdelkader Salem, Ali Turki Ali and guard Ousseynou Ndiaye.
The Qataris are also without coach Ali Fakhroo, who opted to stay in Qatar to look after his ailing mother.
Qatari youth team mentor Matthew Skillman is coaching the squad in the Asiad.
Recruitment continues
Meanwhile, Smart Gilas manager Frankie Lim yesterday said they would begin inviting fresh faces during the practice scrimmages of the national squad after the Games.
A core of former collegiate talents, Smart Gilas is a three-year program envisioned to reach the 2012 London Olympics through the Fiba Asia Championship qualifier next year.
Among those expected to be invited are junior standouts Kiefer Ravena of Ateneo, San Beda’s Baser Amer, 6-foot-9 Arnold Van Opstal and Brian Organ of La Salle and RayRay Parks.
“They will train with Smart Gilas to gain maturity and experience,’’ said Lim, a former team captain of the RP team in the 1980 Asian Basketball Confederation Championship in Calcutta, Jones Cup and 1981 Southeast Asian Games held in Manila.
Lim stressed the importance of recruiting quality players to sustain the progress jumpstarted by Smart Gilas.
“You have to consider recruiting the best players in the land, players who possess skill and height to match up with Iran, China and Korea,” said Lim.
“If we can do that, it’s good for the program. But if you fail, we just cannot stop,” he said.
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