RP Youth crowned SEABA champs

KUALA LUMPUR – The real challenge now beckons for the Nokia RP Youth team after expectedly dominating the regional championship here.

Powerhouse teams from all over Asia now await the Philippines after its triumphant return to the SEABA junior men championship, capping a four-game sweep with a 96-55 demolition of Singapore at the MABA gym here Monday.

The RP juniors topped the five-nation tourney in fiery fashion, clobbering the opposition by a whopping average margin of 42.2 points.

With their domination of the field, the RP juniors gained the lion’s share of individual honors during the awards rites. Norberto Torres was named Most Valuable Player, Mark Joel de Guzman Best Defensive Player and Franz Pumaren the Best Coach.

But as the RP squad savored the victory, the real test looms in four months when the Nationals face teams like China, South Korea, Iran and Qatar.

The RP juniors take a trip to Tehran, Iran in September in search of the crown the country has never won in almost three decades now.

It has all been a frustrating run for the Philippines in this biennial tourney for boys 18 years old and under since the Hector Calma-led 1981 RP team triumphed at home turf.

“It’s going to be hard but I don’t think it’s impossible,” said coach Franz Pumaren, hopeful they can pull off the feat in the Iran joust where the top two teams gain the right to represent the region in the 2009 World Youth Championship in New Zealand.

“In terms of the level of competition, I think we can compete. I just hope they’re (the opposition) not too big,” Pumaren said.

“We’re now going to the Asian level. Our goal is not to win just one game but to represent the country well and play above expectation,” said Tao Corp. president Jun Sy, the chief benefactor of the team.

Pumaren said the team is taking a rest in the next two to three weeks before going back to work most possibly with the addition of two to three new players in the pool.

“The boys are now in pretty good shape but we’ve seen in this tourney that we have players who can’t compete with taller rivals,” said Pumaren, now looking to beef up his team with one more big guy and one or two solid wingmen.

Torres had recommended a pal in Toronto, Canada. Pumaren said the player is a tremendous shooter but he’s more interested to play in the US NCAA Division I school.

The players under the Nokia RP Youth pool have all made full commitment to the program, agreeing to skip the coming varsity season which runs smack with the Asian championship.

“I’m proud of the boys because they’re sacrificing a lot for this. The team is starting to get together because they believe we’re going to do the program right. Remember they come from different places, from different backgrounds, but Franz has molded them into one team that trust each other,” said Sy.

Zamboanga native and FEU pointguard Ryan Roose Garcia went 2-of-3 from beyond the arc and totaled 16 points to pace the RP juniors who also drew double-digit outputs from De Guzman, Kyle Pascual and Tata Marata.

NOTES: American coach Felton Sealy, who has called the shots for several teams in the region, cautioned the Philippine team to be ready to play against much older players in the Asian championship. “It came from him that there are many ineligible players playing in the FIBA-Asia youth championship,” said coach Franz Pumaren, who had a brief chat with Sealy during the closing ceremony…A day after team leader Jun Sy announced a Bangkok holiday for the team, SBP executive director Patrick Gregorio had his own announcement in behalf of federation president Manny Pangilinan, promising to give the players extra pocket money in their Bangkok trip.

The scores:

Nokia RP 96 – Garcia 16, De Guzman 14, Pascual 12,Marata 10, Torres 9, Golla 8, Tolentino 7, Banal 6, Sangalang 6, Manguera 4, Mendoza 4, Terso 0.

Singapore 55 – Sheng 16, Chong 10, Calvin 6, Jia R. 6, Wei 4, Boon 4, Soon 4, Siang 2, Jia W. 2, Clarence 1.

Quarterscores: 35-10, 52-31, 77-36, 96-55