Youth coach forms team for Asia U-18

MANILA, Philippines - National youth coach Jamike Jarin is planning to reinforce his current FIBA World Championship-bound Phl Under-17 squad in time for another tournament -- the FIBA-Asia U18 Championship in October in Doha, Qatar.

Jarin, who steered the national team to a silver medal finish in the FIBA-Asia U16 Championship in Tehran, Iran this year and into the FIBA Worlds in August in Dubai, said Ateneo’s Thirdy Ravena and Aaron Black, National U’s Mark Dyke and Hope Christian School’s John Apacible and La Salle-Greenhills’ Kobe Paras are among the players he is eyeing for inclusion.

“We’re hoping the players we want will be available and we will start forming the team this January,” Jarin yesterday told The STAR. “Yes, it’s a pool that also consists of all the members of my FIBA World Championship-bound U17 team.”

Interestingly, three of the players in Jarin’s wish list –  Ravena, Black and Paras – are second generation players, being sons of Bong Ravena, Norman Black and Benjie Paras, respectively.

Paras, the reigning FIBA U18 slam dunk champion and part of the national team that participated in the FIBA World 3x3 U18 Championship in Jakarta also this year,  may be out of it as he has to study in the United States.

The rest though are available.

Several months ago, Jarin and his U16 squad defied the odds and clinched one of the three slots in the FIBA Worlds in Dubai, duplicating the same feat achieved by its senior counterpart, Gilas Pilipinas, which also finished second in the FIBA Asia Championship at the MOA Arena last August.

Ateneo’s Mike and Matt Nieto and Jolo Mendoza, La Salle-Greenhills’ Carlo Abadeza and Mike dela Cruz, Far Eastern U’s Richard Escoto, UP’s Paul Desiderio, UPIS’ Diego Dario, San Sebastian’s Enzo Navarro, Sacred Heart of Cebu’s Arnie Padilla, Mikel Panlilio and Hope’s Jolo Go are members of that team.

This same team is also planning to train and practice early to prepare for the Dubai joust.

“Schedule and everything permitting, we hope to start practicing early because we’ll be preparing for not just one strong tournament, but two,” said Jarin.

Jarin said it will really be tough to win a medal in the FIBA-Asia U18 in Doha but with their recent triumphs, anything is possible.

“To tell you honestly, it’s going to be like mission impossible in Doha,” said Jarin. “But if we did it in Iran, why can’t we do it in Doha.”