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#1 The Philippine basketball program needs a complete overhaul
Filipinos are one of the most passionate fans of basketball. The country's professional basketball league, the Philippine Basketball Association, is actually the second oldest professional basketball league in the whole world after the NBA. Yet, here they are looking like amateurs against top European teams.
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Gilas Pilipinas, or any other national sports team, should have more than just one week of training for a tournament. Serbia is a top basketball team composed of EuroLeague and NBA players, yet they started training camp months before the World Cup. Philippines, on the other hand, only had a complete training roster for a little over a week before the tournament.
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Players like June Mar Fajardo were still competing in the PBA Finals until August 17. Although him skipping his team's victory party for Team Pilipinas camp was admirable, the PBA and the governing basketball body of the Philippines should coordinate scheduling issues to prioritize more important international tournaments.
It may seem like an impossible task, but the Philippine basketball program needs a complete overhaul as soon as possible. The leadership of Samahang Basketbolista ng PIlipinas (SBP) and other concerned bodies should be composed of board members who understand the gravity of the situation. They need to create a long-term program that will hone the skills of young Filipino basketball players to prepare for the future. They also need to to prioritize international tournaments and have a good plan for FIBA and other basketball tournaments.
A well-thought out program will incentivize club teams, allowing their top players to join the team and boost the morale of players coming into any competition. Philippines should focus on the holistic development of athletes that looks into improving aspects such as players' nutrition, conditioning, shooting, defensive skills, basketball IQ, and mental health, just to name a few.
