THERE was a time when ruling the Asian Games men’s basketball tournament was the ultimate target of our sports leaders.
Back then, restoring Asian supremacy was the priority. Prior to winning the Asian Games gold medal three years ago, the Philippines agonized with a very long title drought.
It was 1962 when the Filipinos lorded over the Asian Games. That team was led by late great Caloy Loyzaga. But since then, Philippine basketball struggled in the international scene, except of course the Southeast Asian Games.
We tried everything from sending our best amateur cagers, assembling our first ever professional basketball team in 1990 and even selecting a handpicked individuals we feel could be a better fit to win the gold medal. Winning the Asian Games basketball gold is the one that matters for the hoop-loving nation.
At the centerpiece of the Asiad build up was the PBA and Asia’s pioneering professional league started to dip its fingers in becoming the most essential decision-maker beginning 1990 when the league formed Philippine basketball’s Dream Team, two years ahead of the much celebrated version in the NBA that turned out to be a global trend in the Olympics.
What the PBA, of course in cooperation with the Basketball Association of the Philippines, back then the country’s cage governing body, did was remarkable in stepping up to the challenge and took advantage of the open-basketball policy initiated by then-FIBA secretary general Boris Stankovic.
Beginning 1990, Asian Games basketball was on the PBA’s radar as Filipinos at that time were more realistic of becoming the best in the region first before shooting for the moon and the stars and make its way back to the Olympic basketball scene.
The Asian Games was our Olympics, as far as basketball leaders are concerned, so we crafted a plan and that is to leave the quadrennial meet hoop preparation to the PBA while allowing our basketball governing body to continue sending our top collegiate and amateur players to the Asian Basketball Confederation, now known as the FIBA Asia Cup, which at that time is the qualifying events either for the World Championship or the Olympic Games basketball tournament.
But basketball has changed its landscape and as the game becomes global, there’s a pressing need to have more games, more qualifiers, side events here and there, additional disciplines and projects beyond the sport.
And then, there’s that big dream — of making our way back to the Olympic basketball circuit.
That started when we felt we have a shot of playing in the biggest stage when we qualified and made our return to the world basketball stage in 2014, ending a four-decade hiatus.
Over the past three editions of the FIBA World Cup, the Philippines competed at the world level. But this year, the country is facing a stiffer challenge.
The Philippines had to scramble in the Asian Qualifiers of the FIBA World Cup, losing four games in windows 2 and 3, but bounced back strong in the next two games of the fourth window with victories over Jordan and Iran in a game where Gilas Pilipinas played without its resident reinforcement Justin Brownlee.
The Asian Qualifiers for the FIBA World Cup has become the top priority for Philippine basketball as not only we’re hard-pressed to return to the world stage, but that’s the much easier way for the country to view for an Olympic berth.
If reaching the World Cup is a lot challenging, missing the world stage or being relegated to the Olympic Qualifying Tournament is more excruciating and with much attention being given to these events, Asian Games basketball had been somehow became less of a focus.
True, we sent PBA stars to the 2026 Asian Games, but without a naturalized player like Brownlee, without a Kai Sotto and without overseas Filipino cagers like Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, Carl Tamayo and AJ Edu, the team failed to defend its crown.
June Mar Fajardo, arguably the PBA’s greatest of all time, has already decided to retire from playing in the national team. Last year, Japeth Aguilar, a 6-foot-9 agile big man, announced his retirement and this time, it’s Fajardo’s turn to follow suit after playing for the national team for about 14 years.
Gone are the days when we send our best team to the Asian Games.
This year, we sent a glorified rag-tag team which placed ninth overall.
Since the Gilas Pilipinas program started, this is worst finish after failing to land in the quarterfinal round. In 2014, the Philippines placed seventh and rose to the ranks until we won the gold in 2023.
Three years later, we were immediately deposed and we took the hit straight on the chin that knocked us down.
It’s time to revisit our basketball program and as a nation which takes so much pride in basketball, such finish is unacceptable.
Basketball is still the Philippines’ favorite past time — and not a seasonal favorite. Of course, today we hail our current sports heroes in Caloy Yulo in gymnastics, Hidilyn Diaz in weightlifting, EJ Obiena in pole vault and Alex Eala in tennis.
Still, I believe we are still a country of hoopers.
