Laban Pilipinas

The Pilipinas - Taiwan Twin Jersey connection

As you have seen in the ongoing FIBA Asia Cup, Smart Gilas Pilipinas 2.0 has been sporting a new jersey style similar to other Nike sponsored national teams around the world. Having the same cut and template means that one way or the other, we're going to have the same uniform as another team with a similar colored flag.

Enter their FIBA Asia Cup quarterfinal opponents, the Chinese Taipei National squad, same color, same cut, even the same font. While we're not complaining because those new threads are definitely awesome, we're also glad that we are getting the same technology as the top nations even if it is just jersey wise. One way or the other we are still going to end up with someone looking like us anyway since the colors red and blue are too common in flags. It is a good thing that we have the PHL coat of arms and the middle of the jersey (homage to the Caloy Loyzaga era).

Back in 2009 we had a similar issue with the Taiwan squad, but unlike now, it was still distinct because they had white trims in front and red at the back while we had red in the front and white at the back.

We then ended up changing to red come FIBA Asia 2009.

So, It remains to be seen if the PHL team will have a tertiary color but the recent kits are awesome by themselves. Be it having twins or not.

25 days to go

Philsports Arena
Capt. Henry Javier Street
Pasig, Philippines

Groups:

GROUP A
Smart Gilas Pilipinas
Japan (BJ League champion TBA)
ASU-Jordan
Westsports KL Dragons-Malaysia
representative of Middle Asia (TBA)

GROUP B
Mahram-Iran
Sporting Al Riyadi-Lebanon
Al Rayyan-Qatar
Syria
Al Shabbab-United Arab Emirates

Can't Wait for this. First local major fiba tournament in 6 years.
Here's to hoping Gilas to kick some ass and bring a 15 year champion's cup title drought to an end.

Final Thoughts on Fiba Asia

Western powers once again proves they're the team to beat. At first I thought china was still to reign supreme because they still have a good intact team with a lot of experiences. But then I was wrong. Iran, not only beating china but crushing them in front of their home crowd. I can say is just wow. No Mid ranking Asian team got beat that bad by Iran. Not Korea, Not Jordan, Not Taipei, Not even Powerade Pilipinas. China also had down to the wire games against Lebanon and Jordan.

And so ends the 19 year odyssey of PBA backed national teams. It is now up to the new batch of soldiers that will represent the 3 stars and a sun. Frankly speaking, I'm more optimistic this time around with Smart Gilas. The team has been practicing longer than the all pro squad and they're still 2 years ahead. They also have a naturalized player and a coach who was the brainchild of the team that just demolished China. Yes, Matic may be the coach, but Toroman was the "Red Auerbach" of that Iran team.

Gilas Is a good program, Do not destroy it Help It. Hopefully the PBA board gives in to help them by reinforcing them with the 3 players from the powerade team. This will help the league as well, since they can have a solid participation with the national team while not having major loses.

RP Beats Japan by 9

(Photo from FIBA Asia Website)


Great win for Powerade Team Pilipinas! Down by 11 yet went to a run in the 3rd quarter to seal the deal against Japan.

These 2 teams have been consistently at each other's throats since the 1994 asiad when The captain Alvin Patrimonio failed to connect in the winning basket. The captain, with the centennials got revenge on the Nihon-jins via an overtime game. The 2002 Asiad, 2007 and 2009 Jones Cup featured the 2 teams coming back in late game runs to win the game by a small margin.

Asi Taulava found the fountain of youth for the RP team, debuting in their new red (alternate?)Jerseys. Same with Sonny Thoss, who made led the team in scoring. Interesting though, Orimo did not enter the game. From our side, Japeth Aguilar didnt even play a single minute. Hopefully he'll be well rested and 100% for tomorrow as they take on Ha and the boys over flowers squad of south korea.

Your 2009 Seaba Champions: Powerade Team Pilipinas!

(This awesome photo is from Nuki Sabio/PBA Graphic Artist and Photographer)

Team Pilipinas recently showed its dominance against weaker South East Asian Rivals. By once again winning seaba. though the winning margins was not as high as the 2007 seaba and sea games, they still managed to win convincingly

Indonesia, the second placer has vastly improved their game, Even sticking out with TP in the first few minutes of the second quarter. A great feat for someone who did not send their real national team just their second best club team garuda bandung reinforced by other players from other teams.

The Games were played in inter barangay/ municipal court look alike. But even then we were treated for 4 days of extreme Pwnage.

Now that the warm up exercises has ended, it is now time for the actual challenge. Coach yeng now needs to match up his boys against El Khatib, Wright, Sun Yue, Orimo, Toroman's former poster boy Ehdadi and more.

Though this powerade rp team lacks practice and exhibition games compared to chot's team or the other countries, Yeng has the capacity to do wonders for any team and that wonder we need is at least a 3rd plact this august.

Yeng Appointed RP Team Coach (Toroman next?)

Yeng Guiao was appointed as the head coach for the 2009 Fiba Asia seniors national team. The announcement was made early this afternoon by commissioner Sonny Barrios.

The Jet Li lookalike coach come politician is known for bringing out the best in no name players, RP Hoops Fans cannot wait for his choices in the national squad.

Here's Hoping that the program and training can run smoothly and politicians from the other camp will shut up and leave the game alone forever.

On other stories, it seems like former Iran national team coach Rajko Toroman is most likely to be the coach of the developmental team that will compete for the 2011 Fiba Asia and hopefully the bad logo 2012 Olympics. With the current issues regarding the coaching staff of the youth team, it is better to have a foreigner who will handle the team. And please BCAP, for once shut up.

Artwork of the Week: K-Will

Customized Mcfarlane Sportspick - Kelly Williams #9 Team Pilipinas
(from TMAC version 3 base figure)

This is the first time I customized an sportspick figure. I saw a lot of customizers do renditions with their sports picks figures for players or variant uniforms that havent been done as of yet. But I havent seen anyone do local (PBA) Players. I've been doing model kits before but this seemed to be a whole new ballgame. I Re sculpted the face and did the decals. The base was also re designed and the Jersey was repainted in the proper colors.

FIBA Asia Youth Chamionships Start Today

Nearly a week after the end of the Beijing Olympics, Asian Hoops starts another chapter as the FIBA asia Under 18 championships today. Nokia Pilipinas Youh t will battle taiwan at 8pm that day. Follwed by a match against Lebanon the day after and UAE to cap off the last day of the preliminary round.

Cool Tournament logo BTW.

1st day
9:00 / CHN-HKG
11:00 / KSA-JOR
13:00 / KOR-KAZ
15:00 / JPN-IND
17:00 / Opening Ceremony
18:00 / IRI-MAS
20:00 / TPE-PHI
22:00 / LIB-UAE

2nd day
9:00 / JOR-KOR
11:00 / HKG-JPN
13:00 / KAZ-KSA
15:00 / IND-CHN
17:00 / SYR-MAS
19:00 / PHI-LIB
21:00 / UAE-TPE

3rd day
9:00 / CHN-JPN
11:00 / KAZ-JOR
13:00 / HKG-IND
15:00 / KOR-KSA
17:00 / SYR-IRI
19:00 / TPE-LIB
21:00 / PHI-UAE