KUALA LUMPUR. — Armed with a 2-0 record in a five-team
field, with just Indonesia and Singapore standing on its path, the title is
considered in the bag for the RP-Nokia Youth team competing in the seventh
Southeast Asia Basketball Association Junior Men Championship here.
Head coach Franz Pumaren and his staff, however, is not
leaving anything to chance. They intend to go all out in their game against the
Indons at 9 p.m. Sunday and the Singaporeans at 6 p.m. on the last day of
tournament Monday at the MABA gym here.
"We’re still going to play hard," Pumaren stressed at noon
of Sunday as the delegation celebrated the 45th birthday of team manager and
TAO Corp. head Julio Sy Jr. at the Seri Angasa revolving restaurant atop the
Kuala Lumpur Tower. "I believe the boys are going for a clean slate and we are
going for the juggernaut."
The Philippines bagged the title in the 18-under tournament
in 2004 but failed to defend the crown in 2006 because of the International
Basketball Association suspension on the country that lasted almost two years.
"We have shown what we could do and we have become the
barometer here. That’s why every team here would like to play its best when it
plays us," said Puramen. "And we can’t relax."
Malaysia gave the team a big scare in the first two quarters
last Thursday but failed to respond when the Filipinos battled en route to a
98-67 win. In their next game against the Thais on Friday, the Filipinos booked
a 92-76 win.
A sweep looms, with the RP team assured of playing in the
Iran continental championship, to be joined by the second-place team here.
Backed by a boisterous and flag-waving home crowd, the Malaysians blasted
the Thais 85-68 last Saturday. In the other game, the Singaporeans sent the
Indons reeling 68-50.
