Kung puso ang pag-uusapan, walang katumbas ang laki ng puso ng isang competitor na kagaya ni Marc Pingris, ang nag-iisang Pinoy Sakuragi.
Since 2013, Marc Pingris has become an integral part of the Gilas Pilipinas program and has joined the team competing in the FIBA Asia Championship where the national squad finished silver and qualified for the FIBA World Cup.
He competed in the FIBA World Cup, the only time the Philippine quintet qualified to the world stage since 1974, in the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship, in the William Jones Cup and all the way to the Olympic Qualifying event last year.
Pingris believes it is time to change the landscape of the national team representing the country in elite tournaments.
“Nagpapasalamat ako kay Coach, pero sa akin ibigay na natin sa mga mas bata,” Pingris said. “I’m happy naging part ako ng Gilas, I’m happy ini-invite ako, tinext niya ako. Kami kasi kahit gusto naming maglaro may edad na kami eh.”
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Bagamat kaya niya pang sumabak sa laban, nais niyang magbigay daan sa mga mas bata at mas energetic na manlalaro na maari pang makapagsilbi sa national team sa susunod na dalawang taon.
Sending young players to play in international competitions, according to Pingris, has become the trend for the past few years.
China, for example, sent its developmental team in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila. The team failed to make it to the semis, but bounced back two years after, right on its home soil, when it defeated the Philippines for the gold medal and qualified outright to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
Last year, Iran sent a young team to surround Hamed Haddadi when the perennial Asian powerhouse squad played in Turin, Italy for the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
“Kasi sa ibang bansa, tini-train nila yung mga bata. Para makuha nila agad yung style ng laro sa FIBA. Nakikipag-tune up game sila sa ibang bansa. Hanggat maari, i-train natin yung mga bata,” he added.
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Pero hindi isinasara ni Pingris ang pagsuporta sa Gilas Pilipinas at willing siyang turuan ang mga mas batang big men na lalaro sa national team sa nalalapit na SEABA Men’s Basketball Championship.
“Willing akong magturo ng mga batang big men,” added Pingris. “Sa palagay ko doon ako makakatulong. Basta kapag ininvite ako ni Coach para tumulong na turuan yung mga batang big men gagawin ko.”
Andrei Villanueva
