MARC Pingris: I promise to go all out for the country. purefoodsbasketball.com
Marc Pingris has had a sudden change of heart, saying that he now wants to join the Gilas Pilipinas pool “if the Philippine team still needs me” in a statement released Wednesday by his mother team San Miguel Purefoods, one of three companies in the powerhouse San Miguel Corporation conglomerate in the Philippine Basketball Association.
“Despite my earlier pronouncement not to join and give others a chance to play for the country, Purefoods management has asked me to reconsider my decision. I talked to my wife and we agreed. In the end, it was pride and honor in representing the Philippines that prevailed over me,” Pingris said.
READ: Marc Pingris to rejoin Gilas Pilipinas
The 6-foot-5 Pingris, a tireless rebounder and defender of the Gilas team that placed second in the Fiba Asia championship in 2013 and qualified to the World Cup in Spain last year, personally informed national coach Tab Baldwin last Saturday that he was giving up his slot in the national pool to concentrate on the preparations of the Star Hotshots for the coming PBA season starting Oct. 18.
But Pingris later told reporters who were present during a break in a workout by the Gilas aspirants: “I love Gilas but some things are beyond our control.”
READ: Marc Pingris officially begs off from Gilas
According to the press statement, San Miguel has always been supportive of endeavors to promote national pride.
“He will represent the country because he wants to. We have no control over our players’ decision when it comes to competing for the national team. We do not deny that we debate on the merits of them joining as a professional player. However, in the end representing your country is an incomparable honor. You can’t argue with that,” Rene Pardo, Star Hotshots team governor, said in the statement.
All out for country
For his part, Pingris said he’s “grateful for management’s support and if the Philippine team still needs me, I promise to go all out for the country in the Fiba-Asia Championship as it aims to gain a slot in the Rio Olympics next year.”
The development came a day after the Gilas aspirants had left for Estonia for training and to play in a four-nation pocket tournament there starting Thursday.
READ: Gilas Pilipinas begins grind in Estonia
If Pingris succeeds in regaining his place in the pool and eventually makes it to the Gilas roster, he would be the lone contribution from the SMC conglomerate to the PH squad this time.
The 6-foot-9 Mar Fajardo of San Miguel Beer and Barangay Ginebra’s LA Tenorio and Japeth Aguilar had earlier begged off from joining the pool for different reasons.
READ: No San Mig star in Gilas PH five
Other big names who are not in the pool are Paul Lee and Jeff Chan of Rain or Shine and Marcio Lassiter of San Miguel Beer.
Controversies
The Inquirer spoke to one of the noted absentees, who asked that he not be identified for fear of being traded away by his team.
“After all of these controversies that are happening, I sincerely hope that something good happens, and that is for Gilas to win,” said the player, who was with the Gilas Pilipinas team that won the Jones Cup and was also a mainstay of the 2013 Fiba Asia squad.
“It just pains me to be reading all the things they are saying about me, and it makes me doubly guilty because I don’t like the decision (of not joining the pool this time) I made of begging off,” he said.
READ: Gilas window slowly closing except for June Mar Fajardo
Another said that it was a pity that the team owners in the PBA couldn’t get together as they should for national cause, citing the solid opportunity that the country has to get back in the Olympics next year.
“I honestly believe that if this team had the same components of the team that played in Spain, we would be very hard to beat,” said the other player. “But of course, it’s out of our hands. We players do what we’re told to do.”
Negative effect
A third former Gilas mainstay said that Pingris’ decision could have a negative effect on the other players in the pool, noting that: “you know how basketball players think.”
He said that, after begging off, he has totally abandoned all hopes of being able to join the squad not only because his team did not grant him the release, but he believes that it is too late in the day for him and all the others to do so.
READ: Gilas Pilipinas starts 2015 Fiba Asia campaign vs Palestine
“They have been in training for what, two weeks-plus?” he asked. “The bad thing about it is that some of the other players who were there from Day 1 might think that we are sacred cows.”
“I just envy (those who were able to join the pool). Sayang, malakas sana ang team (It’s a pity because the team is strong) with Andray (Blatche, Gilas’ naturalized player) being more familiar with the team now. But life must go on for all of us.”
The Inquirer also asked Gilas team manager Butch Antonio to comment on Pingris’ change of heart, but Antonio has yet to reply.