Gilas defeat: A fall long waiting to happen

MANILA, Philippines — While some players hid under their hoodies and face masks, assistant coach Jong Uichico did most of the talking for Gilas Pilipinas.

It was past midnight at the Noi Bai International Airport as the bulk of Team Philippines waited to board the three-hour flight back home when the seasoned Gilas coach spoke to a couple of reporters.

And it was barely hours after Gilas Pilipinas took a loss that’s hard to accept and comprehend – an 85-81 defeat to Indonesia in the last game of men’s basketball in the 31st Southeast Asian Games.

Uichico, winner of nine PBA titles and two SEA Games gold medals as a coach, said it’s a huge wake-up call for Gilas.

For one, they were favored to win the gold, and win big with a team bannered by six-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo.

“But it (defeat) was going to happen sooner or later. Nag-kataon lang na dito nangyari,” said the coach with salt and pepper hair.

“And it happens. Wake-up call? We cannot just assemble a team and send them. Hindi talaga pwede,” he said.

Indonesia, according to Uichico, had planned long and hard for the showdown with Gilas, putting up a team that will carry the load for the country in the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

“Ang tagal na nila mag-kakasama. Fluid na. If you look at their lineup, pang-World na. This is the team they’re building on for the World Cup,” he said.

In contrast, Gilas head coach Chot Reyes couldn’t assemble a full squad days before they left Manila for Hanoi. He had a couple of players in mind but couldn’t get them to play for various reasons.

In the end, Gilas lost the tight contest, and missed the gold medal for the first time in 33 years or since the 1989 SEA Games, in the finals against Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur.

Reyes, who bravely took the blame for the loss that will hurt for some time, walked by the departure area like he was invisible.

“No excuses,” he said moments after the game.

Uichico said the bitter loss felt like being stung by a bee the size of Indonesia, which is six times bigger than the Philippines.

“Nakakagulat. Siyempre, hindi kami makapaniwala. Inside the locker room, it was quiet. It was shocking,” said Uichico.

But the 59-year-old mentor had been in a similar situation before. He was head coach when the Philippines played South Korea in the semifinals of the 2002 Busan Asian Games, and lost a won ballgame.

He recalled that cold October night in Busan, and tried to compare it with this one in the Vietnamese capital.

“I don’t know,” he told The STAR.

“Parang pareho. But here, you were favored to win. In the eyes of those watching, you were favored to win,” Uichico added.

And Gilas failed.