Pumarens help out HK in FIBA-Asia

MANILA, Philippines - Brothers Derick and Dindo Pumaren are indirectly assisting the Hong Kong national team, coached by Kwang Wai Cheung, at the 27th FIBA-Asia Championships here starting Thursday because of their long-term relationship as consultants with manager David Hui who owns the Winling commercial club.

Hong Kong is bracketed in Group B with Japan and Qatar. Lebanon would’ve been the top favorite in Group B but was scratched out due to FIBA’s suspension of the Lebanese Basketball Federation for government intervention and internal squabbling. Since the top three of each group advance to the second round after the initial round of eliminations, Hong Kong has a free ride even if it loses to Japan and Qatar. That means Hong Kong will play the top three of Group A in the second round and a game against host Philippines is a sure bet as Gilas is expected to advance. The Philippines is in Group A with Jordan, Chinese-Taipei and Saudi Arabia.

Because of Lebanon’s absence, Hong Kong won’t play until 3:30 p.m. Friday against Japan at the MOA Arena. The next day, it faces Qatar also at 3:30 p.m. in the same venue.

Derick said Hong Kong will not bring in the same team that saw action at the East Asia qualifiers in Incheon last May. “There were availability issues,” said Derick. “Some of Hong Kong’s best players, unfortunately, are not able to make it to Manila.” Hong Kong’s top scorer Lo Yi Ting, for instance, is not in the FIBA-Asia lineup. Two other missing gunners are Liang Man Hung and Cheng Kam Hing.

Among the holdovers from the Incheon qualifiers are 6-10 Tung Leung Lau, 6-8 half-Canadian Duncan Reid, 6-4 Wai Kit Szeto, 5-11 Siu Wing Chan, 5-10 Lee Ki and 6-2 Shing Yee Fong. Reid, 23, is the team’s project. He averaged only 1.2 points in five games with the University of Guelph varsity in Canada in 2010-11 and is in Hong Kong to polish his game. At the East Asia qualifiers, he collected 13 points and eight rebounds in Hong Kong’s 105-62 loss to South Korea in the semifinals.

Lee Ki, 25, is expected to lead Hong Kong in Manila. The Hong Kong Baptist University guard averaged 13.6 points and shot .787 from the line at the World University Games in Shenzhen two years ago. He hit 16 points in Hong Kong’s 76-73 win over Mongolia in the recent East Asia qualifiers.

Szeto, 25, is another player to watch. He weighs 225 pounds and likes to use his bulk at the low post. He played for Hong Kong at the recent FIBA-Asia 3x3 competitions. The oldest player is Fong, 29. He compiled nine points and nine rebounds in 29 minutes of Hong Kong’s 78-71 loss to North Korea at the 2010 Asian Games in Guangzhou.    

“Hong Kong has improved a lot in basketball,” said Derick. “They’re not the pushovers of before anymore. They can put up a fight.” The Pumarens were hired as Hui’s consultants with the Winling club three years ago. They recently brought Winling to Manila for a series of games against PBA D-League squads. Last May, the brothers spent a month in Hong Kong training the Winling team particularly in skills development.

“Because Mr. Hui is the Hong Kong national team manager, we’ve been asked to drop by practices and share observations,” said Derick. “However, we’re not directly involved with the team and we won’t be sitting on the Hong Kong bench during the FIBA-Asia Championships.” Dindo returned to Manila from Hong Kong last Saturday after a week of looking into the national team’s progress. They shuttle back and forth to attend to their duties as Hui’s basketball consultants.

Derick and Dindo are not involved in any Philippine team at the moment. Derick was formerly a consultant with the Jose Rizal University varsity in the NCAA. The Pumarens were also with the La Salle team in the UAAP. Their brother Franz coaches Air 21 in the PBA.

Hong Kong hasn’t played at the FIBA-Asia Championships since finishing 13th of 16 in Tokushima in 2007. The team posted a 3-4 record with wins over Syria, 104-100, United Arab Emirates, 87-64 and Kuwait, 72-66. At the recent East Asia qualifiers, Hong Kong gained a ticket to Manila despite a 1-3 record. Hong Kong edged Mongolia, 76-73, before bowing to Korea in the semifinals and Japan, 87-71, in the playoff for third. Hong Kong has played in 24 FIBA-Asia Championships since 1960, never tasted a podium finish and is tied with Algeria at No. 71 in the FIBA world standings.

The tallest player in the Hong Kong lineup is 6-10 Lau who averaged only 4.4 points at the Universiade in Shenzhen in 2011. The 24-year-old center plays with the Hong Kong Institute of Education in the varsity league. Another big man is 6-5 Chung Wai Wong. Coach Kwang, 52, piloted Hong Kong at the 2010 Asian Games where the national team played only one game against North Korea.

Hong Kong is guaranteed to play five games in Manila but may not win a single contest as it plays Japan and Qatar in the first round then battles likely top three Group A finishers Philippines, Jordan and Chinese-Taipei in the second round.