Aussies ready for Pinoys

SYDNEY – Basketball New South Wales (BNSW) is making its resources available for Filipino coaches and players as Australia’s largest cage federation with 85 member associations conducting 900 games every weekend embarks on a serious expansion to reach out to the Philippines.

BNSW CEO Danny Martinez, a Filipino who has lived here since 1986, said yesterday it’s time to cement ties between the two countries in a mutually beneficial relationship. Martinez, 62, has been BNSW’s full-time CEO the last 12 years and with a rich banking background, is credited for nurturing a stable organization. “I don’t coach and I don’t play but with 25 years of experience with Citibank in New York and Sydney, I’ve been able to turn the BNSW into a viable proposition like what David Stern did to the NBA,” said the former Letran junior and senior player in the NCAA. “We’ve got 20 full-time staff working with the BNSW with Bob Sim in charge of marketing and Daniel Laus his assistant and Ding de Villa in charge of Asia-Pacific projects.”

Martinez said basketball is played all year round in Australia and the BNSW stages men and women competitions in the under-12, 14, 16, 18 and 20 age groups, the youth league, the state league and the Waratah league where each team is allowed to recruit one import and one local ex-pro. There are 60,000 registered players in the BNSW.

“Since I’m Filipino and Australian, I really want to bring the two countries closer together through basketball,” said Martinez whose late father Dr. Manuel Martinez used to be head of Singian Clinic and mother Salve Sanchez was from Albay. “We’re tied up with the New South Wales Institute of Sport (NSWIS) and we can tailor-fit training programs for collegiate and pro players. I guarantee this is zero-risk and Filipinos won’t be disappointed in joining our courses.”

Martinez said he can assemble at least 50 Fil-Aussies who are under 15 in a camp for Gilas coaches who may be interested to recruit prospects for the national team. Because of BNSW’s wide network, Martinez said it won’t be difficult to gather the Fil-Aussies. “My dream is for a Filipino-Australian association to join the BNSW,” he said. “Aussies play a disciplined, structured, grind-it-out-in-the-paint style while Filipinos like the flashy, run-and-gun game. Now, we’re seeing the influence of the European game where the bigs are deadly outside shooters. If you marry the Filipino, European and Aussie styles, you’ve got the best of three worlds.”

As for hardened pros, Martinez said BNSW can coordinate a program with NSWIS where players will undergo aerobic conditioning and a thorough physio-examination before undergoing enhanced skill development. “We want to strengthen the body and mind,” he said. “Some pros may not think they’re injured or they could be potentially endangered with an injury waiting to happen. We’ll look into specific situations. I think all pros endure some needling injury. It’s not healthy to always be taking pain killers. In our program, we’ll address all types of injuries in a personalized approach. We’ll also conduct psychology sessions for players who can’t seem to get out of a slump or can’t hit free throws consistently.”

Martinez said he can tap the expertise of former Australian national coach and San Antonio Spurs assistant coach Brett Brown, former Australian Olympian Robbie Cadee, elite player development director Mark Watkins, NSW country champion coach John Hardgraves, NSW Metro coach John Sardi, Norths Suburbs coach Peter Lonergan, coach Robert McKinley and Sydney Kings assistant coach Ben Knight to work with the pros. He’s not ruling out American coaches joining the faculty. Legendary coach Lute Olson was recently here to conduct BNSW clinics.

Martinez said NSWIS has a program specifically for high school standouts preparing to transition to college with skill development, value formation and education in the classroom as key ingredients in the course. The program will include playing in actual games.

“We can work both ways, meaning Filipino teams or players coming to Australia or Australian teams going to the Philippines,” said Martinez. “Because of BNSW’s network, we’re also able to mobilize NBL teams for visits to the Philippines.” The BNSW office is across from the Sydney Kings office in the same building near the Olympic Park.

Martinez said Australia, ranked No. 10 in the world by FIBA, can’t seem to generate mass public support from fans. “The national team’s biggest problem is the fans don’t know the Boomers,” he said. “Australia’s soccer team isn’t as successful internationally but is more popular. But with Australia joining FIBA-Asia in the future, I think the outlook is bright. Australian basketball has a tremendous upside and joining hands with the Philippines will be a big boost in developing the sport in both countries. There is no Filipino basketball coach in Australia and possibly the only Filipino-Aussie playing in a New South Wales league is A. J. Aguilera, a 5-7 accountant with the Norths Soul Bears. If we create a Filipino-Australian association, we’ll be able to bring Filipinos into Australia’s basketball mainstream.”