Qawash to beef up Blackwater

MANILA, Philippines – Point guard Imad Qawash, who scored 17 points in Palestine’s 75-73 upset over the Philippines at the FIBA Asia Championships in Changsha last year, will suit up for Blackwater as the Elite’s Asian import in the coming PBA Governors Cup.

Qawash, 29, is now playing in a Hong Kong league and flew in last Saturday to finalize his PBA deal with Blackwater team owner Dioceldo Sy. The 6-2 Qawash practiced once with Blackwater before returning to Hong Kong yesterday.

In the Governors Cup, each team has the option of enlisting an Asian import of up to 6-3. The PBA Board will take up the ceiling of the other import in a meeting on May 12. At the moment, it is 6-5 for the top eight teams and 6-9 for the bottom four with the standings based on the Philippine Cup finish at 60 percent and the Commissioner’s Cup eliminations placing at 40 percent. Under the weighted system, the bottom four teams are Mahindra, Blackwater, Phoenix and Star. Another proposal is to allow only expansion teams Blackwater and Mahindra the privilege of a 6-9 import on condition they finished in the last two spots.

“I nearly played in the PBA last season but there were issues about my citizenship,” said Qawash. “I played for Jordan in a friendly some years back but it wasn’t sanctioned by FIBA so it was a matter of clearing up which is my FIBA country. My mother is Palestinian and my parents fled Palestine because of the war to move to Jordan. Then, we migrated to Canada. It’s all settled now as I was allowed to play for Palestine at the last WABA (West Asian Basketball Association) and FIBA Asia Championships. It’s been a dream of mine to play in the PBA. I’ve played in China, Iran, Spain and Ukraine and I know the PBA is one of the best pro leagues in the world. My Filipino friends tell me about the PBA. My former girlfriend is half-Filipina and a cousin is married to a Filipina so I’ve got Filipino connections.”

Qawash said what opened his eyes to Philippine basketball was when he went up against Jayson Castro and Terrence Romeo in Changsha. “I admire Jayson and Terrence who are quick, fast and efficient players,” he said. “I saw how Filipinos play with a passion. They work hard, respect the game and are extremely talented. I also interacted with Asi (Taulava) and coach Tab (Baldwin). When we played Gilas in Changsha, we went out to win but at the same time, knew we were up against a top caliber team. We wanted to just keep it close and not be embarrassed.  We didn’t want to lose in a blowout. We were down by 16 at the half but we just stayed the course and hung in there. When we had a lead late in the game, we noticed Gilas depended too much on (Andray) Blatche. I don’t think they expected to be in that position where they could lose. They started to play tight. It was the biggest win of our lives.”

Qawash said it was star Sani Sakakini who convinced him to play for Palestine. “Sani’s our leader,” he said. “Our coach Jerry Steele is a Christian missionary. We brought in Jamal Shamala from Minnesota. We never expected to go far in Changsha but we beat Kazakhstan in overtime and lost close games to India and Japan. While teams like Iran and Lebanon are getting old, we’re still young. We’re hoping to build on what we achieved in Changsha.”

As for Blackwater, Qawash said he’s excited to play for a team on the rise. “I know it’s only Blackwater’s second year in the PBA,” he said. “I’ve met the coaches and players at practice. It’s special the way the team is run like a family. I’m a driven player. I push my teammates and do everything I can to make my team win. I’ve played against the best. In China, I shot 15 against (Stephon) Marbury and I held my own against (Gilbert) Arenas. Two years ago, I tried out for the Toronto Raptors. When I walked in the gym, they thought I was the new ballboy. But I showed them. I did pick-and-rolls with Jonas Valanciunas. I played with Rudy Gay, Terrence Ross and Bruno Caboclo. I knew my role was to be a role player and that’s what I did. In the PBA, I’ll make my teammates better. I’m about getting my teammates involved before I look for my shot. I’m not far from Kemba Walker in terms of speed and I like to play like Steve Nash and Chris Paul. I like to pass the ball and it showed in Changsha where I led the tournament in assists.”

The middle of five children, Qawash said at the moment, he’s unattached. “My focus is to play basketball and improve,” he said. “I’m doing a lot of traveling for basketball. After I finish playing in Hong Kong, I’ll go back to Toronto and conduct camps for Peak. Then, I’ll fly to Manila for the PBA.”

An unforgettable moment in basketball for Qawash was meeting NBA legend Scottie Pippen. “We went to the same school, Central Arkansas,” he said. “I was captain of the varsity the year the school retired his jersey. Scottie was in the gym for the retirement program which was held before our game against Nicholls State. We were on a four-game losing streak and Scottie told me we couldn’t lose on his special day. Luckily, we won. I asked Scottie what it was like playing with Michael Jordan and he told me, ‘world’s greatest.’ My college coach Corliss Williamson played at Arkansas for Nolan Richardson known for his style of 40 minutes of hell. I learned grit from coach Corliss and how important it is to stay in shape. We used to run around the city and campus so we would be in condition to play 40 minutes of hell. At Blackwater, I hope to play that same style. My father, a retired engineer, plans to be in Manila when I play. I’m out to make Blackwater competitive.”