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AFTER JONES CUP

Harbour to miss yet another foreign meet

By Julius Manicad

07/17/2008

After missing the 30th William Jones Cup, Harbour Centre-RP Team is teetering on the brink of skipping another international tournament — the 7th Brunei Cup, this time due to lack of players.

Harbour Centre consultant Junel Baculi yesterday admitted his team is no longer keen on joining the prestigious commercial tournament since most of his players are not available for the Aug. 25 opening at the National Indoor Stadium in Berakas.

Baculi said most of his key players like Al Vergara, Jerwin Gaco and Boyet Bautista are currently campaigning in the fledgling Liga Pilipinas while Beau Belga and head coach Jorge Gallent are with their respective teams in the National Collegiate Athletic Association.

Even worse, the Nationals’ chief gunner, Jason Castro, is already with their rival squad, the Singapore Slingers, while high-flying Filipino-American Gabe Norwood, is currently in France, reportedly hoping to land a job in a European league in case a career in the country doesn’t work out.

The other half of the team like TY Tang, Jonathan Fernandez, Jeff Chan and Chad Alonzo are also busy, bracing for the forthcoming Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) draft. Defensive stopper Solomon Mercado, who will also be joining the draft, left for the United States last week, making his availability doubtful.

Although Harbour Centre owner Mikee Romero is very optimistic they could assemble the squad’s nucleus before the week ends, Baculi said chances are getting bleak.

“We’re waiting until Friday, if nothing happens, then we’ll call it off,” said Baculi, a prominent figure in the Southeast Asian basketball circuit after steering Hapee Toothpaste-RP Team to numerous titles in the 1990s.

“Honestly, it’s quite hard to form a team that doesn’t know the system in the international tourney. So those who were with us before are on top of our priority. But unfortunately, majority of them are not available.”

Since the country was given the green light to play in the international arena last year, five-time Philippine Basketball League champion Harbour Centre reigned supreme in regional tournaments, except for a devastating second runner-up finish in the recent Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) Champions Cup where the organizers refused to allow Nigerian import Sam Ekwe to compete.

Unlike the Seaba joust, though, the Brunei Cup is a commercial tournament where the finest club teams are seeing action. The Nationals wound up with a 1-4 win-loss slate last year with the PBA’s Sta. Lucia Realty emerging as the first runner-up, bowing to the LG Sakers of Korea in the finals, 72-76.

“If it’s a Fiba-sanctioned tournament, I think everybody in the team will be compelled to join. Without sounding unfair to the organizers, Brunei Cup is just a commercial tourney, but we have to take it seriously because the flag is still at stake,” Baculi said.

Other teams who were also invited by the organizers are Australia’s Darwin Airport Resort, Jordan’s Jordan All-Stars, Sakers and the Slingers. Baculi, however, could not confirm whether the PBA All-Filipino Cup champion, Realtors, will be representing the PBA anew.