Romero sees longer buildup for SEAG bid

A longer preparation and a sound training program are needed if the country is to win again the Southeast Asian Games basketball championship.

The usual threat posed by host Thailand and the fast emergence of Malaysia and Indonesia as growing cage powers in the region have the country hard-pressed to claim back the gold medal that mattered most to 80 million Filipinos.

The 24th edition of the biennial meet is set Dec. 6-15 in Nakhonratchasima in Thailand, with Harbour Centre team owner Mikee Romero tasked to bankroll the campaign of the national squad.

A Harbour Centre-backed RP five is fresh from bagging the South East Asian Basketball Association (SEABA) Champions Cup title in Jakarta, Indonesia.

For their feat, the Nationals were honored yesterday in simple rite during the opening of the Philippine Basketball League (PBL) Unity Cup at the Olivarez Sports Center.

League officials led by PBL vice chairman Cecilio de Pedro and former chairmen Chito Loyzaga of San Miguel-Magnolia and Raymund Yu of Welcoat were present to award the medals to members and officials of the RP squad.

Romero later on presented the certificate and official entry form allowing the country to represent the region to the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup in Tehran, Iran to Patrick Gregorio, reportedly set to be named as executive secretary of the BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, who represented association president Manny V. Pangilinan.

Harbour Centre-Philippine team ruled the Champions Cup qualifier at the expense of Indonesia, 85-67, despite training for a period of four weeks.

Romero stressed that should not be the case when the SEA Games come.

"We need four or five months to train dahil hindi ito katulad ng Champions Cup," said the youthful basketball godfather earlier in the PSA Forum at the Pantalan Restaurant in Manila, where he personally presented the shiny Champions Cup trophy won by the Nationals.