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  • RP cagers off to China hoop

    RP cagers off to China hoop
    by Hector Santos - Dec 27, 2007

    THE PHILIPPINES seeks an unprecedented third straight title as it begins its campaign in the sixth Zheng Cheng Gong Cup international basketball tournament for men scheduled today at the Nanan City, Fujian, China.

    To be represented by MBL champion Polymaster Kings/5th Avenue and handled by former national team player Junnel Mendiola, the Filipinos will be seeking to retain the title for the third straight time in this quadrennial tournament being held in honor of the well-known Chinese general and hero.

    The Philippines will be pitted against select commercial teams from Indonesia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Macau and the Fujian All Stars of host China.

    The Filipinos have won back-to-back titles in the tournament in 1999 and 2003 through PBA team FedEx/Air21 Express under RP youth coach and Air 21 assistant coach Johny Tam.

    This will also mark the first time that the BAP is sending a team to an international tournament since former Surigao del Sur Rep. Prospero "Butch" Pichay was elected as president of the basketball association early this month.

    "It will be a good opportunity for us to show our wares in the sport, as well as renew our ties with our Asian neighbors," Pichay said, who is putting up an ambitious, year-long program to promote the sport not only in the country but in the whole Asian region.

    Pichay thanked officials of the All-China Overseas Sports Council and the Nanan City Sports Council for inviting the Philippines to participate anew.

    Pichay also expressed his gratitude to Millennium Basketball League (MBL) chairman Alex Wang, National Basketball League (NBL) president Christian Tan and Polymaster owner James Cafe for supporting the country's campaign in the week-long competition.

    Pichay tapped BAP board member Prof. Robert Milton Calo to represent him during the tournament and the Asian University Basketball Federation (AUBF) meeting to be held during the competition.

    Calo will also formally make the country's bid to host the sixth AUBF.

    AUBF president and Korean basketball legend Shin Ding Pa, who will preside the meeting, is expected to support the BAP's bid to host the tournament.

    Former FIBA president Dr. Carl Men Ky Ching will be the guest speaker during the opening ceremony of both the Zheng Cheng Gong Cup and the AUBF meeting. Also gracing the event are officials of the China Basketball Association (CBA) and the China University Basketball Federation (CUBF).

    Head of delegation is Tai Lian, while Tai Xin Min is the assistant head of delegation. Cafe will act as team leader.

    Playing for the team are former PBA player Braulio Lim, Luis Palaganas, Ronnie Zagala, Richard Litonjua, Michael Alexander Dizon, Romel David, Rey Mendoza Jr. and Fil-Am Michael Andre Burtscher.


    _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
    It's ironic to see limited efforts from players with maximum salary.
    I wish they would apply "sabermetrics" in those financially challenged PBA teams to acquire players who are value for their money.

  • #2
    5th Avenue dribblers bounce back

    SHUI TOU, CHINA – The Philippines’ 5th Avenue Telecoms made sure there’s enough reason to celebrate the new year as the Filipinos hacked out a morale-boosting 76-54 win over Tong Whye of Singapore in the seventh Zheng Chenggong Cup international invitational basketball tournament at the Shui Tou gymnasium here Monday.

    Playing barely a few hours before the New Year’s day celebration back home, the Filipinos shrugged off the extremely cold weather in this marble-producing town in Fujian province and spewed fire from beginning to end to frustrate the less-experienced Singaporean side.

    The Filipinos even led by 26 points, 97-71, shortly before the final buzzer.

    Ronnie Zagala, the team’s most dependable scorer in the first three outings, sustained his fiery form as he finished with team-high of 26 points and 10 rebounds for 5th Avenue.

    Guard Richard Litonjua also finally made his presence felt after two unproductive games against Macau and Indonesia.

    Litonjua, a prized recruit from National Interclub champion Wang’s Ballclub, scored 19 points, including a3-of-5 shooting from beyond the arc.

    The 5-foot-9 guard also ably shared playmaking chores with Zagala and former University of Santo Tomas player Romel David.

    David added 14 points, while Luis Palaganas, a late addition from MBL First Conference champion 3T Corporation, contributed 10 points, six rebounds, four assists and four steals.

    "It’s really a feel-good win for all of us," RP-5th Avenue playing coach Junel Mendiola said after the Filipinos’ second win in four matches in this prestigious tournament held every four years in honor of former Army general and national hero Zheng Chenggong.

    "The boys are really determined to redeem themselves after losing their composure due to sloppy officiating and allowing the Indonesians to turn a close game into a rout," Mendiola said, who led the same 5th Avenue team to the 2007 MBL Second Conference title over Ocean Fresh in Manila last month.

    Compared to their back-to-back losses to Nanan (67-70) and Indonesia ( 66-84), the Filipinos played a lot better this time.

    Despite being slowed down by stomach ailments on ex-pro Braulio Lim and Fil-Australian Michael Andre Burtscher, the Filipinos shot better with 55 percent (30 of 54 attempts) compared to the Singaporeans’ 36 percent (17 of 46 attempts).

    The Filipinos also had more assists, 15-6, more steals, 14-9 and less turnovers, 13-23.

    Singapore, which dropped its fourth straight game, drew 26 points and 16 rebounds from Bo Man, the 6-foot-6 member of the Singapore Sizzlers playing in the Australian pro league.

    The Filipinos closed their stint in the quadrennial event when they meet 2003 runner-up Hong Kong in Nanan City.

    A win over Hong Kong, which suffered its first defeat against Indonesia (72-63) on Monday, coupled by a Nanan loss to Indonesia in the final game will create a three-way tie for second place among 5th Avenue, Nanan and Hong Kong .

    And although they failed to defend the title won by the Laguna Lakers in 1999 and Federal Express in 2003, the Filipinos are determined to show their true worth against the Hong Kongites."We’ll give it our best shot," Mendiola said.

    Also Monday, the Filipinos gathered for a late-night party at the four-star Minjing Hotel to welcome the New Year with a small celebration with Chinese friends.Also present during the celebration were team coordinator Toto Lryatos and Baguio-based refere John Ustig.

    The scores:

    5TH AVENUE 97 — Zagala 26, Litonjua 19, David 14, Palaganas 10, Mendoza 7, Dizon 7, Lim 6, Burtscher 6.

    SINGAPORE 74 — Bo 26, Lu 13, Chien 10, Huo 10, Li QL 7, Li WT 4, Liang WM 4, Yao 0.

    Quarters: 28-16, 54-32, 76-54, 97-74.
    SMART GILAS: all the way

    Comment


    • #3
      what a pathetic team.
      "There are only three kinds of mathematicians: those who can count, and those who can not."

      Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton - 1st Filipino Female Boxer Double Word Champion.

      Comment


      • #4
        Originally posted by ankle breaker
        what a pathetic team.
        THAT'S precisely the issue here -- the BAP-SBP should have stepped in, asserted its power and prevented these clowns from leaving the country in the first place.

        Whether we like it or not, this team will be representing the Philippines and the first thing our country's basketball program needs at this critical stage is for nothing but the best representation in all international tournaments regardless if it is a FIBA or non-FIBA event.

        A team from the MVBA or the PBL could have definitely been a better representative.
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        • #5
          what league in the country does this clowns play in? is it the NBC or MBT?
          you know why I am happy

          Comment


          • #6
            MBL, probably a not-so-popular commercial league. btw, let's not forget, they still are Filipinos. the problem with our basketball system right now is politics, BAP already has limited power and influence, so what they have in mind is to send these players whom are within their reach. I also don't know what Pichay is up to, will he use the rotten BAP to uplift his political career???
            It's ironic to see limited efforts from players with maximum salary.
            I wish they would apply "sabermetrics" in those financially challenged PBA teams to acquire players who are value for their money.

            Comment


            • #7
              I don't like Pichay...

              Comment


              • #8
                Fil-Am Michael Andre Burtscher who's this guy?

                Comment


                • #9
                  Originally posted by hawke12
                  Fil-Am Michael Andre Burtscher who's this guy?
                  Mike Burtscher has got to be a college player w/ the most "colorful" collegiate experiences in recent times.

                  He's a Fil-Austrian, at least 6'4" who plays Guard. He came into the Philippines, looking for a school here to take him in. A 6'4" Guard, of course a lot of schools were interested in him. He is a bit of a hardship case, from what I heared, since his family isn't supposed to be that well off in Austria, or at least didn't support him that much when he came here.

                  He was initially recruited by SBC, but then "transferred" to DLSU. However, before he could complete his residency requirements at DLSU to allow him to play in the UAAP, he decided to play in the PBL instead to earn money, thereby making him ineligible to play in the UAAP. Reports were that his girlfriend got pregnant, so he now had to go out & try to support his new family in some way.

                  Been playing in the PBL the last couple of conferences, but to little effect. Too young, too raw to be in the commercial leagues maybe. But it seems he had found a home in the MBL. I think there are a couple of leagues out there who could use a 6'4" Guard, so he'll likely end up drifting around those lesser leagues. Whether he will hit the big time in the PBL or PBA, is a big question mark, though.
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                  • #10
                    Our unknown commercial team represents international tournament is funny! I guess this international tournament is useless, it joined by weaker NT ballclubs and province selection of China which similar level league of unknown commercial league here. We've 9-man with many unknown players and a coach as a player. They not have a coach. Actually the team is employment basketball team and similar basketball level of employment team.

                    Comment


                    • #11
                      Originally posted by bolabasket
                      5th Avenue dribblers bounce back

                      "It’s really a feel-good win for all of us," RP-5th Avenue playing coach Junel Mendiola said after the Filipinos’ second win in four matches in this prestigious tournament held every four years in honor of former Army general and national hero Zheng Chenggong.
                      prestigious tournament? what's so prestigious about this tournament. sloppy team, corrupt leaders presented this tournament hehehehe.
                      Command me Confessor

                      Comment


                      • #12
                        this topic deserved bandwidth and diskspace only because it's always nice to bash the highly politicized BAP and its equally kapal-muks so called leaders...aside from that, this tournament doesnt deserve sh!tty attention from forumers...hehehehe...its as lousy as the BAP leaders.
                        <--- science always wins over bullshit --->

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                        • #13
                          this is somewhat the black market of basketball tournaments.
                          "There are only three kinds of mathematicians: those who can count, and those who can not."

                          Ana "The Hurricane" Julaton - 1st Filipino Female Boxer Double Word Champion.

                          Comment


                          • #14
                            Originally posted by jvandread
                            prestigious tournament? what's so prestigious about this tournament. sloppy team, corrupt leaders presented this tournament hehehehe.
                            prestigious in a way that it (the tournament) commemorates the death of a significant person in China...nonetheless, the level of competition is not that good compared to Asian level leagues or FIBA-sanctioned leagues
                            It's ironic to see limited efforts from players with maximum salary.
                            I wish they would apply "sabermetrics" in those financially challenged PBA teams to acquire players who are value for their money.

                            Comment

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