Locals underdogs vs taller Fil-Ams?

For Romel Adducul and Poch Juinio, making it to the national team is one thing. Going up against the talented Fil-foreign cagers to gain berths in the RP squad is another.

"If they’re going to tap half-Filipino players (for the team), we hope they’ll get those who are ready to die for flag and country. For sure, all the pure locals will do this," said Juinio on the eve of the resumption of the training for the Asian Games-bound national team at the Moro Lorenzo gym in Ateneo.

With most of the Filipino stars out with various injuries, focus will be on the Fil-foreign players who, many believe, will outnumber the pure local talents in the RP roster bound for the Busan Asiad this September.

There are Fil-Tongan Asi Taulava, and Fil-Ams Erik Menk and Andy Seigle who are expected to contest the big man slots with Adducul and Juinio.

"Pare-pareho lang naman kaming tao. Mas athletic lang sila. Kaya mas maganda kung mahigitan mo yung ginagawa nila," said Adducul, who has been a member of the national team to different competitions five times since 1996.

"Sa heart na magkakatalo yan," he added.

Truly, it will be a question of heart and desire for the 30 aspirants seeking berths in the national squad, majority of whom will resume their training today under head coach Jong Uichico.

A number, however, will undergo rehabilitation at the Moro Lorenzo’s training facility, including reigning two-time PBA MVP Danny Ildefonso, former MVP and many-time RP Team mainstay Kenneth Duremdes and Centennial Team member Olsen Racela.

Duremdes underwent an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) test a couple of days ago and initial results showed a mild shrinkage of his left thigh muscle.

"I’m undergoing rehab ngayon. Ayoko kasi mag- surgery dahil mas matagal ang recovery period, eh gusto ko talagang humabol sa national team," said Duremdes.

Racela, Duremdes’s teammate in the 1998 Centennial Team that placed third in Bangkok, is nursing a pinched ligament in his right foot but said if he is picked, he should be a hundred percent by the time the quadrennial meet kicks off in September.

"There’s no need for surgery actually, just rehab," said Racela, who has a special reason for wanting to be named to the national team.

"When it comes to desire siguro, nobody can question mine. I really want it badly because I know this could be the last time I will represent the country in a tournament as big as the Asian Games. I’m not an Alvin Patrimonio or an Allan Caidic, who were valuable players even when they were 35 or so," said the 31-year-old Racela, Uichico’s top playmaker at San Miguel.

Ildefonso also passed off surgery to remove bone spurs from his right ankle. The 6-5 San Miguel forward said he would be out of commission for at least four months if he chose to go under the knife.

"At least, pag rehab, may chance pa ako pumasok sa national team, Kapag nagpa-surgery kasi ako, wala na, out na ako. Siyempre, gusto kong pumasok sa national team dahil ibang laban na yan," said Ildefonso.

The pride of Pangasinan, however, will be faced with the same obstacle as the rest of the pure local cagers: Talented half-Filipinos.

"Part ng challenge yun," said Duremdes. "Siyempre, you are motivated to prove something."