INSIDE SPORTS: FOR COUNTRY?
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 29 Aug 2015
I often wonder why we Filipinos cannot seem to work together in the national interest whether it be in politics, business or even sports and look to create dissension rather than harmony and ways to divide rather than unite.
To us, the case of Filipino-American Jordan Clarkson, the outstanding Los Angeles Lakers point guard who is in the country and has made it unmistakably clear that he wants to represent the Philippines should Fiba, the international governing body for basketball, the NBA and his team, the Los Angeles Lakers approve the request of the Samahang ng Basketbol Pilipinas and Clarkson himself.
We had a fairly lengthy conversation with SBP Executive Director Sonny Barrios, a longtime friend who earned the respect and indeed the affection of one of the finest sportsmen-businessmen of our time, the late PBA Commissioner Rudy Salud who was a mentor to many of us.
We were impressed at the remarkably logical and articulate manner in which Barrios spelled out the case of Clarkson and his studied response to our questions.
Sonny clearly demonstrated how much Rudy Salud had influenced the manner in which he handled delicate and sensitive issues which pleased us no end.
Rather than grandstand or make statements that could be misinterpreted or could hurt the sensibilities of Fiba, the NBA and the LA Lakers, the SBP executive director was extremely careful and circumspect in his statements which certainly augurs well for the efforts of the SBP under the eminent businessman-sportsman Manny Pangilinan to help Clarkson fulfill his desire to represent the Philippines in international basketball competitions that would build on the breakthrough of qualifying for the last World Cup of Basketball in Spain and hopefully for the 2016 Olympic Games in Brazil.
Media sometimes, in its search for stories that are attention-getting because of their controversial nature or grab headlines by their particular slant, may have hurt what the basketball leadership and indeed millions of Filipinos who have embraced Clarkson, are striving to achieve.
One such story that appeared on the internet site of a leading newspaper of which ironically, Manny Pangilinan is a majority shareholder, almost soured the relations between Clarkson and his father by reporting that the father ? Mike Clarkson ? said his son won?t be playing for Gilas while explaining that, at least in his mind, it was not a logical and good decision.
Clarkson who had an emotional and tear-filled reunion with his mother?s relatives in a trip to Pangasinan the other day which strengthened his resolve to wear the Philippine colors, was effectively driven to issue a statement in response to what his father had said.
Jordan Clarkson?s statement of which we were furnished a copy said,
"MY FATHER, MIKE, HAS ALWAYS LOOKED OUT FOR MY WELFARE AND IS ONLY GENUINELY CONCERNED FOR MY CAREER, MY FUTURE AND MY WELLBEING - HIS THOUGHTS ARE THAT OF A VERY LOVING DAD. I JUST CALLED HIM AND WE AGREED WE WILL TALK ABOUT MY PLAYING FOR GILAS WHEN I GET BACK. NOTHING IS CAST IN STONE. BUT I WANT TO ASSURE MY FILIPINO BROTHERS AND SISTERS THAT, IF GIVEN THE CHANCE AND EVERYTHING CAN BE WORKED OUT, I SINCERELY WISH TO PLAY FOR GILAS AND CONTRIBUTE TO THE TOTAL TEAM EFFORT FOR FLAG AND COUNTRY - THIS IS THE REASON WHY I AM OBSERVING AND FAMILIARIZING MYSELF WITH THE TEAM WHILE HERE AND WILL EVEN FOLLOW THEM IN TAIPEI FOR THE JONES CUP SO I CAN SEE THEM COMPETE CLOSE UP AND BENEFIT FROM THE LEARNINGS FROM SAID EXPERIENCE. LABAN PILIPINAS! PUSO!"
This surely is a Filipino we should all be proud of and embrace with the fullness of our hearts because it also helps the PBA players who declined to represent the country in the Fiba Asia Championships in China this September, understand and appreciate what a privilege it is to play for one?s country.
We know that the players from the San Miguel Corporation teams were prevented by management at the highest level from suiting up for Gilas and no matter how team representatives to the board strive to deny the fact and in so doing blame the players for the decision not to play, won?t fool anyone. Our people, especially the basketball fans, are far more discerning and simply refuse to buy the SMC hogwash as well as that of Rain or Shine who, at least, haven?t publicly explained their decision not to allow Paul Lee and Jeff Chan to join the national pool under coach Tab Baldwin.
Marc Pingris, in a turnaround which was precipitated by the terrible backlash especially in social media sites against SMC and the launching of a boycott of their products, joined the team and sought to soften the blow against San Miguel Corporation with an explanation that nobody regrettably believed because Pingris is basically a nice young man who has always wanted to play for the country.
But when he was initially preparing to attend the Gilas practice he received a phone call from PBA chairman Robert Non telling him not to attend because those were the instructions of Ramon Ang. That forced Pingris to pull-out and it certainly wasn?t his decision.
Junmar Fajardo?s claim that he was suffering because of an injury in both feet also doesn?t hold water because he had a terrific PBA Conference Finals and if he could play hurt for his commercial team, surely he could make the sacrifice and play for our country.
The attitude of Jordan Clarkson who is a legitimate NBA star unlike some of our PBA players who are nowhere near his caliber, should make those players who refused to heed the call of duty and those who engineered the refusal, ashamed of themselves.
Whatever happened to the riveting slogan ? Para sa Bayan?
Photo: NBA Lakers' Jordan Clarkson (L) plays chess with Filipino boxing legend and congressman Manny Pacquiao.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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