Pat’s frenzied recruitment assures sustainability of Gilas girls program

Jack Animam (right) was able to give advise to her Women’s team heir apparent, Alyssia Palma. —DENISON REY A. DALUPANG

As the Gilas Pilipinas Girls team reveled in a sumptuous feast toasting its historic feat in the Fiba (International Basketball Federation) U-16 Asian Championship, women’s cornerstone Jack Danielle Animam was in full fangirl mode all night long.

The decorated center took photos with members of the squad, gamely listening to their stories with a smile. That grin eventually turned into a cackle when she realized how superior these fledgling players were to how she was at their age.

“I didn’t know how to dribble, let alone shoot a basketball properly when I was their age. I sucked!” the 24-year-old veteran told the Inquirer in Filipino recently at Sha Tin Courtyard in Quezon City, where the team was feted for ruling the Jordan tournament and tabbing a top-flight status that will now allow the program to compete alongside continental heavyweights.

“And how old is she, 14?” she said while pointing to 6-foot-1 forward Alyssia Palma. “Imagine how good she’ll be after a few years.”

Palma was one of the 10 new faces reeled into the squad that eventually rectified last year’s botched campaign, a testament to the exhaustive recruitment scheme laid down by national coach and program director Pat Aquino in collaboration with Alex Cabagnot and his cousin Cris Gopez’s Fil-Am National Select.

“As I told Jack earlier, ‘You weren’t that good at that age,’” Aquino said. “The future is here. Now, we have all these kids for the program and [this ensures] even if I no longer coach Gilas anymore, we have a pool of players at the ready.”

Heroines all

There were plenty of heroines for Gilas throughout that dominant run in Jordan, among them Belgium-based Sophia Canindo, who erupted for 21 points against Maldives and Nevaeh Smith, who came through with 21 points in the finalé against Iran despite a hurting thumb.

Both are talents plucked from Aquino’s scouting tour overseas.

“I think [the scouting power of Gilas] just shows how serious we are about this,” said Ava Fajardo, one of the only two holdovers from the previous squad and eventual second-best scorer of the tournament.

“It just shows how important this is to him and the coaching staff,” she went on. “If we want to win, if we want to be able to play against the best, then obviously we’re gonna need more recruits.”

Animam will be fighting different battles while Palma, Canindo, Fajardo, Smith and the rest of the fledgling crew work on their development.

Not that she minds.

“It’ll be a while before Alyssia could join me in the women’s division,” said Animam who a few weeks earlier also helped Gilas Women to a promising run in the Asia Cup in Australia. “But I’ll wait.” INQ