Naturalized cagers in Doha

Two Americans are listed as naturalized players in the basketball rosters of the Asian Games in Doha. Under FIBA (Federation Internationale de Basketball) rules, a national team may enlist the services of only one naturalized player, meaning someone who acquires citizenship of a country without a natural bloodline or heritage. FIBA used to allow two naturalized players for each national team.

Curiously, Lebanon has paraded three foreigners in its national lineup since the FIBA-Asia Championships last year — Joe Vogel of Colorado State, Brian Beshara of Louisiana State and Paul Afeaki of the University of Utah.

But Vogel is the only naturalized player accredited by FIBA. Beshara and Afeaki are listed as Lebanese citizens. Beshara is supposedly a Lebanese-American with dual citizenship like a Fil-Am. Afeaki is from Tonga. They’ve changed their surnames, presumably to avert suspicion on their lineage. Beshara is now Feghali and Afeaki is Khoury.

Beshara and Afeaki are missing in Doha, opting to stay in the US. Lebanese basketball officials said the team in Doha is playing only for participation and will be back in full force for next year’s FIBA-Asia Championships, the qualifying tournament for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Beshara and Afeaki are expected to rejoin the squad for the qualifiers.

By the way, Lebanon had never before sent a basketball team to the Asian Games.

Lebanon has lost three games in Doha so far, bowing to Kazakhstan by five, Japan by 11 and Chinese-Taipei by 14. Its American coach Paul Coughter is not in Doha.

Vogel, 33, is a 7-foot center from Colorado State. He was the Seattle SuperSonics’ second round pick in the 1996 National Basketball Association (NBA) draft.

Aside from Vogel, the other American listed as a national cager in Doha is Japan’s Eric McArthur.

Japan had previously accredited naturalized citizen Dan Weiss to play for its national team.

McArthur, 38, is from South Pasadena, California, and played varsity basketball for the University of California at Santa Barbara with NBA player Brian Shaw. The 6-6, 205-pound forward saw action for Grand Rapids in the Continental league in 1990-91, averaging 9.3 points in 52 games, then packed his bags for Japan where he has now lived the last 15 years. McArthur is married to a Japanese, Akiko, and has a son Eric, Jr.

McArthur compiled 12 points and 10 rebounds in his national team debut as Japan downed Chinese-Taipei, 85-75, to start basketball hostilities in Doha. But he flew back to Japan with a broken ring finger in his left hand after the game and is out for the rest of the tournament.

Japan raced to a 3-0 record then lost a 94-68 decision to unbeaten China the other day.

New Japanese head coach Kimikazu Suzuki, who took over from Zeljko Pavlicevic of Croatia, played for the national team from 1982 to 1986 and has piloted the Aisin Sea Horses club to two league championships. He was responsible for bringing back crack shooter Kenichi Sako, 36, to join veteran Takehiko Orimo, 36, in the national team backcourt. Conspicuously absent from the Japanese lineup are long-time internationalists Satoru Furuta and Takahiro Setsumasa.

* * *

Tonyboy Liao, chairman of the Beach Volleyball Council of the Asian Volleyball Confederation, said Fil-Ams Heidi Ilustre and Diane Pascua did the country proud in Doha despite winding up seventh and without a medal in the 14-team Asian Games competitions.

"Heidi and Diane were clearly the crowd darlings," said Liao. "They won the hearts of the fans with their good looks, spunk, fighting spirit and demeanor. They were model ambassadors of goodwill."

The pair registered a 2-2 record as the 10th seed, beating Kazakhstan and Sri Lanka while losing to China and Thailand.

The Fil-Ams stayed in a four-room apartment with three beds for each room at the Athletes Village. Ilustre and Pascua shared a room with a Filipina athlete from kayak.

Liao said the girls usually ate salad, boiled eggs, chicken, beef and fruits. The night before defeating Sri Lanka, they watched the movie "Take The Lead," starring Antonio Banderas as a professional ballroom dancing instructor, in the Village theater. In between matches and practices, they hung out at the athletes’ lounge where fruits, sandwiches, juices, tea, coffee and cookies were always available.

"They would also go to the internet café but it was almost always full house so the access was limited," said Liao.

Unlike in last year’s Southeast Asian Games where the Fil-Ams’ relatives flew in, they were on their own in Doha.

Ilustre’s parents Hermie and Linda trace their roots to Bulacan and Pampanga. They migrated to the US in 1973. Pascua’s father Rodney, a US Air Force veteran, is from Ilocos Sur and her mother Lynne Marie Grossklaus is of German descent.

The Fil-Ams arrive in Manila from Doha Tuesday midnight before leaving for the US the next day.