Gilas Pilipinas national team. Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Not even two crushing blows can take away the fact that the Philippine men’s national basketball program has come a long way from where it was several years ago.
That was how a down yet sanguine Jimmy Alapag, the beloved former Gilas Pilipinas captain, put things in perspective in light of Philippine basketball’s darkest hours late Wednesday night.
“This program has made so much progress. From the Fiba Asia 2013 and playing in the World Cup to a few years later we’re hosting an Olympic qualifier and I think the world has put on notice how much progress Philippine basketball has made,” Alapag said in the aftermath of Gilas’ rude exit in the Fiba Olympic qualifying tournament.
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“Even despite these last two losses, we’ve shown that we can compete at this level but again, the next step for us now is to find ways to win and win consistently.”
The Philippines came out with its best shot and gave itself a chance against world power France only to lose to a seasoned French side seemingly unshaken playing in the most hostile of environments.
Gilas tested France’s mettle but New Zealand, gritty and equally steady as the French, exposed the Filipinos’ flaws in an 89-80 shellacking that ended a nation’s dream.
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The Philippines was competitive for both nights, but for Alapag, showing a strong desire to win should also translate to actual victories and not just moral.
“I’m still proud of the guys. This OQT was another opportunity to show that we could compete against the best of the world but now that we’re at this point, we have to turn the corner and find out how we could win more of these games at this level,” said Alapag.
The 38-year-old Alapag has played with most of the national team’s members long enough to know how it feels being in the position that they’re currently in.
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He also knows Filipinos haven’t seen the last of Gilas Pilipinas yet.
“I’m confident that we can do that it will take a lot of hard work and that’s what us Filipinos are, we’re built for the work and we’re built for the challenge and I’m excited for what lies ahead for the future of Philippine basketball,” said Alapag.
“It’s a tough night without a doubt. But again, the guys should hold their heads high. I know they’ve worked extremely hard for this tournament and Gilas will live to fight another day.”