Bo Perasol during his Ateneo days coaching Kiefer Ravena. PHOTO by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Bo Perasol, who coached the Ateneo Blue Eagles from 2013 to 2016, is also standing by his besieged former player Kiefer Ravena.
Ravena tested positive for prohibitive substances after claiming to have taken a pre-workout supplement that contained components banned in the World Anti-Doping List.
Perasol believes it was an “honest mistake” by Ravena, who got an 18-month suspension from Fiba.
“I was surprised but at the same time, if I wanted to believe what he was saying, it was really an honest mistake on his part,” Perasol told INQUIRER.net on Tuesday during the Memorandum of Understanding Signing Ceremony between Nowhere To Go But UP Foundation Inc. and 3M Philippines at the Quezon Hall inside UP Diliman.
Perasol knows Ravena all too well having coached him for three years in college and he believes the star guard will come out of the adversity not only as a greater basketball player but a better person as well.
“If something is going to be taken out of this, and knowing him, he’s going to go through this. I know he’s going to be better right after this,” said Perasol, who is now calling the shots for University of the Philippines.
Ravena is hoping to bring awareness to his fellow Filipino athletes to not commit the same mistake.
And Perasol thinks Ravena’s experience will indeed serve as a valuable lesson to his peers.
“It’s just unfair that this happened to him at the early stage of his career so this shouldn’t have happened to him but because it happened, the silver lining in this is that people, athletes are going to be aware of the danger of taking just any drink.”
As it stands, the suspension also forces Ravena to miss the same period of time with the NLEX Road Warriors in the PBA.
But Perasol has thought of a remedy for Ravena to keep him busy and in shape.
“Like I said, he can practice with us and teach my players,” he said.
“He needs to stay competitive. He can’t just stay there. He needs to play or else he’s gonna lose a year of experience.”