Toroman to explore other options

MANILA, Philippines - Coach Rajko Toroman arrives in Manila from Serbia today but is expected to stay only a few days as his contract with the Gilas national basketball team won’t be renewed to allow him to explore other career options.

“We’re very grateful to coach Rajko for his positive contributions to the development of Philippine basketball,” a source from the SBP said. “The proof is the impact the Gilas players have made in the PBA as rookies this season. But with the Gilas II program still on the drawing board, it would be unfair to hold on to coach Rajko without a definite commitment, knowing there is a lot of interest in hiring him from other countries.”

The source said Toroman will meet SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan during his brief visit but no date has been confirmed.

“Coach Rajko is flying to Manila just to say goodbye,” the source added. “He’ll pack his belongings. The ticket was provided and a letter was sent explaining the Gilas II situation. There will likely be no contract offer with Gilas II and joining Talk ‘N’ Text isn’t an option. We have mixed emotions about this because of what coach Rajko has achieved. But we don’t want to be a hindrance to his advancement.”

Toroman’s stock rose dramatically after he piloted Iran to first place at the FIBA-Asia Championships in 2007 with a ticket to the Beijing Olympics as a reward. Last year, he took the Philippines to fourth place at the FIBA-Asia Championships, the country’s best finish in 27 years. The Philippines lost a two-point heartbreaker to South Korea in the playoff for third and a win would’ve sent Gilas to the Olympic wildcard qualifiers this year. Gilas’ showing boosted the Philippines’ FIBA ranking from 53rd to 45th, only two rungs below Olympic host England. Toroman was widely credited for the improvement and drew praise from several foreign coaches, one of whom, American Tad Baldwin of the New Zealand team, said, “He’s beloved in Europe, he’s wanted in Europe and Asia, I’d like to see him get everything he wants in his career because he deserves it.”

Toroman, 56, has coached in Iran, Hungary, Bosnia-Herzogovina, China, Cyprus, Holland, Belgium, Poland, Greece and Yugoslavia aside from the Philippines. He was an assistant coach with the Yugoslavian national squad in 1991-96.

Anticipating Toroman’s departure, former Barangay Ginebra coach Jong Uichico was recruited to beef up the Gilas coaching pool which includes Chot Reyes, Ryan Gregorio and Norman Black. No head coach has been named so far for Gilas II but the choice will be someone with experience in working with PBA stars. The PBA has agreed to assign as many as 16 players for inclusion in the Gilas II pool which will also feature crack amateurs.

Nearing the end of his three-year engagement with Gilas, Toroman almost took the Philippines to the FIBA-Asia finals in Wuhan last year. In the semifinals, Gilas bowed to Jordan via a 75-61 reversal after it beat the same squad, 72-64, in the preliminaries. Then, in the playoff for third, South Korea once more frustrated the Philippines’ bid for the bronze by only two points.

“We owe a lot to coach Rajko,” said the source. “He sacrificed so much for the country and endured incredible pressure. We know there are Olympic contenders interested in hiring him and we don’t want to limit his opportunities by holding him back especially since we’re still in the process of formulating a direction for Gilas II. Philippine basketball history won’t be complete without mentioning coach Rajko’s contributions. We will always be grateful for what he has done.”