Of heart, heartbreak in Wuhan

(Editor’s note: The following is the first of a two-part series written by Smart Gilas skipper Chris Tiu as he shares his thoughts and experience on the national team’s campaign in the Fiba-Asia Olympic qualifier in Wuhan, China.)

MANILA, Philippines - It’s so ironic how I wrote about “grabbing opportunities that come your way” in one of my recent posts. We just missed an opportunity of a lifetime for Philippine basketball.

Our recent fourth place finish in the FIBA Asia, which was held in Wuhan, China, drew mixed emotions. On one hand, it was a great success because the team was able to make it to the Final Four quite convincingly after a series of victories against UAE, Bahrain, Jordan, Japan and Syria in the elimination round and against Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals. Basketball experts say the Top 4 finish hasn’t been done in 20 something years and probably the best finish since the emergence of the Middle East nations. But after the quarterfinals, our nightmare began.

I talked about painful losses, but the wounds we suffered on this one will take a lifetime to heal. I thought I’d somehow get used to dealing with lost games/tournaments but this one is just the most painful and most difficult.

Loss To Jordan

The loss against Jordan in the semifinals was tough and painful, but nothing compared to the one against Korea. Jordan is a tall, experienced and skilled team, not to mention they have coach (Thomas) Baldwin whom I truly respect not only because of his ingenuity and professionalism inside the hard-court but also his kind, humble and friendly personality off the court

. Those who closely followed the FIBA Asia would know that Iran (ranked No. 1 in the quarterfinals) was the clear favorite to make it to the finals, and we knew that if we can get pass Chinese Taipei in the quarterfinals, that we would have to face a huge road block, which is Iran. Having included (Arrsalan) Kazemi in their lineup, Iran has never fielded a stronger team.

But guess what, they were upset by Jordan in the quarterfinals. When we heard this, we suddenly saw an opening to the Olympics. This was because we knew we would match up better with Jordan than Iran and that we’ve defeated them several times in prior games, including in the elims.

Unfortunately, the Jordanians were very focused and they did their scouting homework excellently, causing us to lose our offensive fluidity, as a result of their switching man-zone defenses. I will not expound on the details anymore. Basically, they deserved to win that game.

Korea Comeback

In the game against Korea for the bronze medal, it was pretty much a won game for us until the dying minutes of the fourth quarter where Korea got their shooting confidence. One lay-up or a pair of free throws would have put our lead up to 12 or 14 points coming into the last five minutes of the game and that would have been enough to put the Koreans away. But no, instead, they brought the lead down to single digits and it gave them hope until they finally found their shooting stroke and ended up winning by two points. That shocking game for us will be recorded as one of the greatest comebacks in the Korean history books.

What makes it more painful was that we had everything going our way. From the body language of both teams at the beginning of the game, our players were more energetic, motivated and clearly wanted the win more. Korea had an 8 p.m. game the night before and they looked very tired.

Our defense made them miss a lot of shots throughout the game, but they also missed three or four point-blank lay-ups in the first quarter. Some of their key players were even injured. Everything was going right for us until the unexpected happened. We were stunned.

Missed Golden Opportunity

One of the main reasons why I felt some regrets is because we missed a golden chance to place ourselves in the history books by at least bringing home a medal for the country. That hasn’t been done in decades, not even by some of our basketball idols. We had it in the palm of our hands but somehow it slipped away.

I have to admit that the Pinoy fans have been extremely supportive and appreciative of the result but still there’s that feeling of disappointment that we could have made them even more proud, knowing that the Philippines is still a basketball-crazy nation. It was so close. We’ve been receiving very supportive and appreciative messages on twitter, and since we got back, right when we stepped off the plane or wherever I go, people would go up to me and congratulate me for a job well done but there’s always that expression of ‘Sayang!’ whether explicitly said or not. You can see it through their faces.

To Believe, Inspire

But more than all that, the main reason why I felt disappointed not winning the gold or any medal is because I wanted the Gilas team to prove something to the nation. Something that can truly inspire us to dream beyond our imagination. From the very beginning, only a handful of people believed in the program. Many people laughed when we said we were aiming for the Olympics. Some said that the country should forget about basketball and focus on other sports since basketball is a big man’s game and we Filipinos obviously don’t have the height. But this gave us motivation, the reason why we wanted to succeed so badly is not for any personal glory but because we wanted to inspire the millions of Filipinos that task like this that seem impossible can be achieved despite the odds. We, Pinoys, are often underdogs. We live in deep poverty, but if we first believe, then through extreme hard work, cooperation, sacrifice and dedication, nothing is impossible.

Coach Rajko

We are very grateful and lucky to have coach Rajko Toroman. There is no question that the new “system” he has introduced to Philippine basketball has been effective both offensively and defensively, and it suits the international game. Of course, nobody is perfect but coach Rajko is an extremely clever guy.

Respected national coaches from other teams would go up to me and tell me how lucky we are to have Rajko as our coach. And more than the X and O’s that he has taught us, for me, his biggest contribution is the non-negotiable values that he instills upon the team. “Work as hard and as honest as you can.” Those are his famous words. Even if he seldom smiles, I suppose this is the reason why he is so loved by the Filipino fans. It’s tough to be a coach, there are many other “experts” especially when you lose a game.

But I cannot forget what he told us, “Even if I will be digging my own grave, I will continue to do what I believe is the right thing to do.” That’s why we players have utmost respect for the guy.

What got me more emotional after the Korea game was when coach started saying goodbye to the team and to the Philippines in the locker room.

I remember in our first team building session two years ago, we played a game where each team member has to give one chip to just one person he trusts the most in the team. Many of us gave our chips to coach Rajko. Coach Rajko gave me his chip. I cannot forget that. And now I feel like I’ve let him down.

For bringing Philippine basketball to another level, we must give utmost appreciation to coach Rajko. And we have to admit, sometimes he is even “more Filipino” than some of us through his sacrifice and dedication towards the improvement of Philippine basketball. At this moment, his status is uncertain but he already has bigger offers internationally and he will not have problems finding another job.

That’s for sure. Wherever he goes next, I wish him well. I think what he needs to do is to rest and take care of his health first and foremost.

All In God’s Plan

Throughout the tournament, I prayed the rosary every night. I’ve been reading a book of homilies (I’ll talk about it in another entry). I spoke to God more than I usually do because I have more idle time when I’m abroad, which should not be the case though. We should make an effort to pray and talk to God as much as we can despite our busy schedules. After the loss, again I prayed for answers.

I remember what Jimmy (Alapag) told me after the game when I was feeling bad, “Making it to the Final 4 is a huge step already. We cannot just expect to win the gold overnight. It’s a step by step process.”

Then I thought about the way we lost to Korea, it was an unreal game. Like a divine hand had something to do with it. God is telling us something. Despite being unlucky in the last two games, He showed us throughout the tournament that we are very competitive with all the teams who participated, including the top teams that finished ahead of us. I believe it is His way of telling us that “you are a good team, but it is not your time yet. You must first fine tune and resolve all your divisions and differences.” God is a good God and He has a purpose for everything. It just wasn’t meant to be yet.

I’m very, very thankful to be given this rare opportunity to represent the country for the past 2 1/2 years. It’s truly a big, big honor. It’s both fun and painful but all worth it.

I’d also like to honor my teammates who have sacrificed tremendously for the country and poured their hearts out during the games, whether or not there’s a lot at stake. It’s been so much fun playing with some of the best players in the country, not to mention great guys as well.

It’s sad that we will have to part ways after years of practicing, traveling and competing in tough games together but I know they will make wonders for their respective teams in the PBA and I wish them all the best.

I believe in destiny, but for now, making it to the London Olympics wasn’t meant to be. Sooner or later, I strongly believe that the Philippines will regain its top spot in Asian basketball. We saw how close we are. We just got to keep working towards that goal, together.

I hope I will still be actively playing when that happens. But for now, life must go on and we have to keep getting better. 2013 is not so far away.

Once again, a super big thank you to all of you for your unwavering love and support for the team. You certainly keep us inspired! GO PILIPINAS! :)

Chris

P.S. After the heartbreaking loss to Korea, I bumped into Coach Baldwin of Jordan in the hotel lobby. He gave me a big hug and he said such simple yet wonderful words that hit the spot and I’d like to share it to you guys because it can be applied to all. He said “This is just the first of many more tougher games you will experience in life. Just remember to be the best player that you can be. More importantly, be the best person that you can be. Hold on to those two things and you will be fine.”

To be continued