KAHIT pa nanalo ng silver medal sa nakaraang Southeast Asian Games ang Philippine women’s basketball team, hindi pa rin tiyak ang pagsali nito sa darating na 2013 SEA Games sa Myanmar. Sa isang ekslusibong panayam kay National coach Haydeee Ong, kinuwento nito kay Bandera correspondent Eric Dimzon ang mga balakid at problemang kinakaharap ng Discovery Perlas.
Pumayag na ba ang Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) na ipadala ang Discovery Perlas sa Myanmar SEA Games ?
According po sa last call ni Sir Bernie Atienza, inendorso na daw po kami ng SBP sa Myanmar SEA Games.
Ngayong may endorso na ang BSP, tuloy na tuloy na ba ang pagsali ng iyong koponan sa SEA Games?
Yung first situation po kasi, we were not endorsed by SBP. Mrs. Tiu, our team manager, wrote the letter of appeal to Col. Jeff Tamayo with the criteria that we were silver medalists in the last SEA Games. But Col. Jeff told us that they cannot act on our appeal because SBP has not endorsed the team.
Now that the team has been endorsed, we are still not sure if the team will finally be given the go-signal to represent the country. BSP claims that POC and PSC are saying that the team is only a silver medalist which falls short of the standard set by POC and PSC of “gold medalist only”. Sonny Barrios of SBP is saying that they are only complying with the standard set by POC and PSC.
Nagsisisihan po ang SBP, POC at PSC at kami po ang naiipit nang di namin main-tindihan kung bakit ganun. Samantalang yung men’s basketball team, wala pang players at coach, ipapadala nila.
Ayon sa ibang report, di inendorso ng BSP ang Discovery Perlas dahil hindi ito nagsagawa ng open try-outs. Gaano katotoo ito?
If they are blaming us, the coaching staff, for not having open try-outs, hindi po ba na mandate nila as federation ang grassroots program at discovery of new talent? Example po, nagpapa-Batang Pinoy po sila na kasali ang mga girls.
Eh puro for boys lang po ang games nila. Secondly, yung UAAP po does not lend its players to the national team. Alam naman natin yun. Lahat po ng players sa team, nakuha ko after college na.
The players are only able to play for the national team only after college. Besides po, since time immemorial, this team has been open to anyone who would want to come in and try-out for the team. So hindi po totoo na walang open try-out sa women’s basketball team.
Ano ang tsansa ng team na manalo ng ginto sa darating na SEA Games?
Actually, we have an invitation this August 22-25 in Naga City. It will be under the office of Congresswoman Leni Robredo and the mayor of Naga City. Four countries will be joining the invitational.
Singapore and Gold Coast Australia have confirmed their participation. May isa pang foreign team na sasali. Then in October 27, we will participate in Fiba-Asia in Bangkok, Thailand.
So definitely we will go up against Thailand which beat us in the last SEA Games for the gold medal. Hopefully, with all these tournaments, our team will improve and have a good chance of winning the gold medal this time around.
This will be the first time that the women’s team will join FIBA-Asia. Last time po, hindi nakasali ang Pilipinas dahil the federation failed to submit an entry by number.
Bakit parang inaapi ang Discovery Perlas?
Hindi po namin alam. Actually, we want to talk to MVP. Baka po hindi niya alam ang nangyayari sa amin.