Former Purefoods and Red Bull import Julius Nwosu was one of two foreign reinforcements on the Harbour Centre-PBL team that won the SEABA Champions Cup tournament in Jakarta last month.
The win earned for Harbour Centre the ticket to represent Southeast Asia in the FIBA-Asia Champions Cup meet now going on in Tehran. But as previously agreed, Harbour Centre gave up its slot to the PBA national squad preparing for the SEABA Championships in Ratchaburi, Thailand, on May 24-28. Now on its 18th edition, the Champions Cup is a club tournament that allows each entry to play two imports. It was inaugurated in 1981 and became an annual event in 1995.
The Philippines won the crown in 1984 as Northern Cement, 1988 as Swift, 1995 as Andok’s and 1996 as Hapee Toothpaste. It hosted the 1996 and 2005 editions while sitting out in 1992, 2000, 2001, 2003 and 2006. The joust has become a favorite among West Asian countries with China, Korea, Japan and Chinese-Taipei preferring to concentrate in other regional competitions where imports do not play a major role.
While Nwosu helped the Philippines qualify, he’s now playing a contrary role in Tehran as an import for Al Jalaa Aleppo of Syria.
Last Tuesday, Nwosu compiled 18 points and eight rebounds as Al Jalaa downed the San Miguel Beer-Philippines, 114-80. It was nothing personal, for sure – just all in a day’s work.
Nwosu, 36, played two years for Purefoods and led Red Bull to the PBA Commissioner’s Cup crown in 2002. A local fan favorite, the 6-8 Nwosu declined to play for the Nigerian team that faced the Philippines at the Global Hoops Summit in Las Vegas two years ago because, in his words, he couldn’t go against his Filipino friends.
Nwosu saw action in 23 games for the San Antonio Spurs in the 1994-95 NBA season. Before turning pro, he polished his skills playing for Liberty College.
Syria lost a 92-64 decision to unbeaten Saba Battery of Iran to finish the eliminations at 3-1. It plays the Young Cagers of India in the quarterfinals tonight. Nwosu’s import teammate is 7-foot Bernard Jons. The team is coached by American John Sneed.
Beefing up Sneed’s lineup are three Brazilians, now considered Syrians. They apparently are dual citizens because one of their parents is purportedly of Syrian descent. The “BraSyrians” are 6-9 Michael Correa, 6-5 Andre Luis (Dede) Barbosa now known as Chueri and 6-3 Eduardo Caviglia now known as Farhat. It’s a rare coincidence that three professional Brazilian basketball players, unrelated to each other, happen to be half-Syrian.
Correa’s father Roberto is a former Brazilian national cager who supposedly traces his roots to Syria. Caviglia’s father allegedly left Syria to migrate to Brazil over 30 years ago. There was no explanation as to how Barbosa became a Syrian. The three transplants are eligible to play for Syria at the FIBA-Asia Championships in Tokushima.
In Tehran, three teams showed up without imports – the Philippines, Al Muharraq of Bahrain and India. Bahrain was supposed to bring in imports Raymund Hugley and Rahshun Roberts but neither came.
The Philippines lost three in a row before notching its first win at Bahrain’s expense, 99-80, last Wednesday. Its second defeat was inflicted by the Astana Tigers of Kazakhstan.
The Tigers blasted the Philippines, 75-66, as 6-9 Yevgeny Issakov, 6-6 Andrei Shpekht and 6-9 teenager Anton Ponomarev combined for 44 points last Tuesday. The three Kazakh stars are no strangers to coach Chot Reyes.
Issakov and Ponomarev led Kazakhstan to a pair of wins over the Philippines, 91-86 and 98-86, at the Jones Cup in Taipei last July. Issakov was ejected in the second game after a scuffle with Arwind Santos. Dondon Hontiveros and Ranidel de Ocampo were the only Filipino cagers in the Jones Cup now in Tehran.
In the 2005 Champions Cup, the Philippines beat Tobol of Kazakhstan, 88-67, with Shpekht in the lineup. Saba topped the Philippines, 85-75, in the same tournament. The holdovers on the squad from two years ago are Hontiveros, Tony de la Cruz, Mark Caguioa, RenRen Ritualo, Jimmy Alapag and Enrico Villanueva. The nationals wound up fifth.
Today, the Philippines battles unbeaten Blue Stars of Lebanon in a knockout quarterfinal game. Lebanon is bannered by stars Fadi El-Khatib, Rony Fahed, William Pippen and John Carter. A win will push the Philippines into the semifinals against Syria, expected to demolish India in the quarterfinals. A loss will drop the Philippines to the consolation pool where it is likely to face India then Kazakhstan in a rematch.