Stajcic vs Reyes

Asa Ka Pa

Karamihan po ay English po ito, kasi mahirap na Tagalugin lahat ito (mauubusan po tayo ng Tagalog). 

2023

FIFA

The Philippine National Women's Football Team qualified for the FIFA World Cup for the first time.

FIBA

In contrast, the Philippine National Men's Basketball Team will play and co-host the FIBA World Cup. The Philippines hosted and qualified for the WC in the past, this isn't their first rodeo.

But there is something glaringly different in the way they qualified and in the mindset of their respective head coaches.

Mindset Matters

Coach Alen Stajcic took only a year to transform the traditionally lowranked Filipinas (formerly Malditas), the National Women's Football Team into a WC qualifier.

And he is not done, nor is he sitting on his laurels nor content on merely qualifying.

He said:

"The Philippines’ miraculous World Cup qualification is just the beginning.

We’re coming to win, not to compete and get experience. It goes without saying that it will be a learning experience for us given it’s this team’s first time at a major tournament like this. But we’re not at this World Cup just to make up the numbers.”

https://www.fifa.com/fifaplus/en/articles/alen-stajcic-philippines-interview-womens-world-cup-2023-debutantes

Sa ibang salita, hindi lang porma at papogi ito, lalaban po tayo.

Coaches Matter

In sharp contrast, the traditional Southeast Asian (SEA) basketball powerhouse and the only Asian team to medal in FIBA World Cup competitions has been experiencing turmoil and internal struggles which is mostly because of the SBP, the PBA and Coach Chot Reyes, the current head coach of Gilas, the Philippine National Men's Basketball Team. Incidentally, the head coach of the national men's youth team is the son of Coach Reyes.

Pride, politics, nepotism, favoritism, personal interests, agenda, business, power, apathy, complacency name it and you know what's wrong with Philippine basketball and the Philippines. It's all of the above and more.

Coach Reyes is the epitome of "learning experience", that's his motto and his style is no need to win games in the qualifiers because as hosts we are already qualified. 

And what is worst is here is the mindset of Coach Reyes on the World Cup itself.

"It's okay if Gilas Pilipinas have no wins in FIBA World Cup, participating in the World Cup is already a big accomplishment. Fighting against powerful teams etc."

Basketbol ng Pilipinas

Nagpursige pa at nagpakahirap mapili na host wala naman palang planong manalo.

Sa ibang salita po, di pa naguumpisa ang laban, tapos na ang boxing. 

And this is doubly ironic because it was under his watch that the most embarassing moments in Philippine basketball took place.

Boxingball

First, the brawl with Australia and the resulting mauling of Aussie players back in July 2nd 2018 at the Philippine Arena during a FIBA World Cup Asian qualifying game. They lost face and that game big time.

And second, the recent lost to Indonesia in the SEA Games Gold Medal Game held in the Thanh Tri Gymnasium in Hanoi on May 22, 2022.

Ang mahirap pa, ay nakapasok lang naman talaga sa World Cup kasi nga co-host, hindi pinaghirapan.

Eto na nga ang tamang pagkakataon sana kasi walang Korea tapos sa bayan uli gaganapin ang World Cup. Sinayang lang lahat ito ni coach at ng SBP. Mabuti pa ang Lebanon at Japan, preparado na, Gilas nga nga, aasa lang kay Jordan Clarkson.

Tama po, malamang olats nanaman at wala nanamang panalo kahit isa. Ngunit mga fans nandyan lang palagi sumusuporta, ngunit hanggang kailan kaya.

Sana Azkals magkaroon rin ng panibagong sigla at panimula, at ang mga ibang team sports kagaya ng softball at baseball.

Gising, kaya natin to.