Don’t feel too bad, coach.
“On Monday, September 29, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas President Manuel V. Pangilinan sent a message to Gilas Pilipinas, following the national basketball team’s not-so-ideal finish in the Asian Games in Incheon, South Korea,” reports InterAksyon.com.
The report noted: “After qualifying to the FIBA World Cup of Basketball by finishing second in the Asia qualifiers in Manila in 2013, and after an inspired run in Spain last August, hopes were high for a medal run for Gilas in South Korea. But after an opening win against India, the Philippine squad led by Gilas coach Chot Reyes lost three disappointing games to Iran, Qatar, and perennial rival South Korea. The Filipinos bowed out of the competition despite a win over Kazakhstan.”
In light of this development, Pangilinan sent this message to Reyes and the rest of Gilas Pilipinas. We’re reposting the full text of the messsage, a copy of which was shared with InterAksyon.com:
“Chot, pls send to each and all of you my deep personal gratitude for what the Gilas Team has accomplished – in Manila last year, and in Spain and Korea this year.
It has been quite a journey with its peaks and valleys; the road has been long and tough, the climb steep, and the obstacles formidable even from the get go. We may have fallen short of what we all desired to gift to our people after years of desolation, but all of you persevered, and gave your best to the country and improved our standing in world basketball.
For now, we cannot ask for more. Indeed, sports is a veritable roller coaster and we’ve seen that cycle of ups and downs as short as it was between Spain and Korea. We report our results in Korea with “heads bowed in sadness but not in shame”. That said, we take pride and satisfaction in all that Gilas have reached thus far.
The Asian Games are now done; it is time to look ahead and plan for the FIBA Asia competition next year in China, the winner of which qualifies for the 2016 Brazil Olympics. We must stay focused on our goal, and neither despair nor get deterred by the letdown in the Asian Games – which is comparatively less meaningful than the Olympics.
In the meantime, it is time to bring the Team home so that they can restore normalcy to their lives with their loved ones. Safe journey.”
Screengrab of photo posted on Philstar.com
