The Philippine quest for its lost glory in the sports of basketball in Asian caging finally got a shot in arm as it charged through the semifinal round of the FIBA Championship and eventually finished fourth. The meet served as a qualifier for the single slot into the London Olympics in 2012.
The Philippine basketball quintet used to be a dominant force in the continent few decades ago and finally started to make its presence felt.
The Philippine languished in the pit of torment and defeat for the past many many years, as the passion for the sports is slowly dwindling down in the country. While the basketball suffered numbing losses, here and there, the Philippine football team stole the limelight and now steadily becoming an emerging power in Asian soccer.
But with the country’s fourth place which bristles like a medal finish is expected to usher in a new era for the sports. The country which found too much difficulty in even breezing past the quarterfinals is finally in the driver’s seat, once again.
The fourth place the country achieved means the Philippines is the fourth best team in the Asian basketball right now. Even better than performance dished out by defending and perennial top favorite Iran, also-game teams like Japan, Lebanon, Chinese-Taipei and Qatar.
The Nationals surprisingly made it to the semifinal phase and medal round of the tournament after dispatching Chinese-Taipei 95-78 in the quarterfinals. However, the team lost steam in the semifinal round as they bowed to Jordan which wielded the upset axe earlier in the quarterfinal match on four-time champion Iran. The defending champion Iran which is headed by Memphis Grizzlies center Hamed Haddidi is also the one of the two Asian nations that represented Asia in the last staging of the Olympics. The Philippine next bowed to South Korea on their bronze medal match.
The Philippine team which won the championship five times last made it into the semifinals in the 1987 edition in Bangkok, Thailand. The Philippines wound up fourth as it succumbed to Japan other bronze medal match.
The Philippines is mentored by Serbian Rajko Toroman, who is responsible for steering Iran in the Olympics. Toroman now brought his wares to the Phillippine team and his brilliance is spilling over his players.
The Philippines clobbered Gulf State powers UAE and Bahrain and lost to powerhouse China in the elimination. The Philippines swept its games in the second round bowling over Japan, Jordan and Syria.
The Filipinos heart and soul in the wooden court is perhaps, Marcus Douthit who registered a scintillating double-double average performance in the tournament.
A native of Syracuse, New York, Douthit was drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers during the 2004 Rookie Draft in the NBA and played professionally in Russia. Toroman brought in Douthit way back in 2010.
Now the country is in the thick of things in the Asian basketball scene and with more international exposure and experience, may the country bring back the glory days and we hope that they will improve much further in the future and be potent threat not only in Asia but in the whole world again.