Women’s team revamped; Fil Ams out?

The BAP-Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas yesterday named Heidi Ong as the new coach of the national women’s basketball team.

BAP-SBP executive director Patrick Gregorio confirmed Ong’s promotion from   assistant to head coach, replacing Fritz Gaston, who was the team’s mentor when RP settled for the bronze medal in last year’s SEA Games in Thailand.

“Heidi Ong is now the women’s team coach,” said Gregorio, who also appointed another RP team assistant Raymond Celis as new coach of the RP women’s 18-and-under squad.

Gaston will now head the committees tasked to handle affairs concerning the proposed women’s league and the National Referees Commission.

“We appointed him (Gaston) to take charge of the women’s league and national referees program,” said Gregorio.

Ong, along with three other members of the team, actually filed a leave of absence last month allegedly in protest over the “special treatment” given to Fil-Am players who backstopped the RP SEAG team.

The group had charged that the Fil-Am recruits – Vicky Brick, Melissa Jacob and Amir Issa – received bigger allowances than the locals, which didn’t sit well with some RP team members.

Issa and Jacob had previously signified their intention to stay with the team while Brick returned to the US to consult with her family whether or not to suit up for the squad again.

But with Ong, who has started conducting team practices Monday, at the helm, Brick, Issa and Jacob might reconsider their decision to play again for the team.