CAN WE RECAPTURE THE GLORY OF ABC '73?
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 24 Jan 2013
MANILA (PNA)- It was a great moment for Philippine basketball that stands to be recaptured when the county hosts the FIBA-Asia (formerly Asian Basketball Confederation) men?s basketball championship 40 years after the biennial conclave was last played here.
This was, at a glance, how Robert ?Sonny?Jaworski and William ?Bogs? Adornado consider the 1973 ABC championships held here, which they hope will be repeated when the Philippines hosts anew the coming 27th edition on August 1-11.
?It will be the 1973 ABC championship all over again, hopefully,? Jaworski, local baskeball?s ?living legend,? said in a text message to this writer. ?The day was December 15, 1973 when Mariano, Melencio, Arnaiz, Cleofas, Reynoso, Guidaben, Jaworski, Adornado, Fernandez, Martirez, Paner, Regullano and reserves Doniso and Mumar stood head and shoulders over our Asian neighbors as we were proclaimed basketball kingpins again in the region.
Jaworski, who like Adornado and the rest of the team migrated to the professional Philippine Basketball Association later in their careers, was referring to teammates Jaime Mariano, the team captain, Rogelio ?Tembong? Melencio, Francis Arnaiz, Ricardo ?Joy? Cleofas, Alberto ?Big Boy? Reynoso, Alberto ?Abet? Guidaben, himself, Bogs, Ramon Fernandez, Rosalio Martirez, Manuel Paner, david Regullano, Gregorio ?Joy? Dionsio and Larry Mumar.
Everybody, added Jaworski, ?Jawo,? or ?Big J? to local basketball community, from team manager Dante Silverio, head coach Valentin ?Tito? Eduque, assistant coach Carlos ?The Big difference? Loyzaga, trainer Nilo Verona and conditioning mentor Juan Cutillas, contributed their share, sacrificing their time and efforts for one single goal ? bring back the crown the Philippines won three times in the tournament?s first six staging, the last in 1967.
?It was a wonderful effort of the entire basketball family,? Jaworski, mainstay of the multi-titled Toyota in the PBA and former playing coach of popular ballclub Ginebra San Miguel, related. ?Sana maulit uli at ngayon na ang pinakamagandang pagkakataon na tanghalin tayong muli na hari ng basketball dito sa parting ito ng mundo.?
?Sana nga makuha muli natin ang kampeonato,? Adornado, adjudged tournament MVP in that Manila ABC ?73, butted in. ?We should not be content in finishing in the top 3 para lamang ma-qualify sa World Championship. We should go for the championship, no less. ? ?Dito sa atin gagawin ang laro in our own turf and before countrymen. For me and based on my own experience, that will be a very big advantage,? Adornado, who played for five national teams, including the 1972 Olympics and the 1975 World Championships, remarked.
?What is needed though is the cooperation of everybody in this basketball-mad country na ma-i-involved sa project ? PBA, teams, players and officials,? he suggested. Kaya naman with MVP (Talk ?N Text team owner Manny V. Pangilinan) para mamuno sa organisasyon. ?Sonny was right. That title victory was a result of the combined effort of the whole basketball community,? he said. ?Lahat ng na-involve sa project nag-sakripisyo talaga to the extent of swallowing some pride.?
?How can you imagine, for instance, coach Caloy (Loyzaga), who handled the 1967 ABC champion team, na pumayag maging assistant ni coach Tito? Si Verona, coach ng MICAA champion team Komatsu? At si Johnny (Cutillas) coach ng national football team. Lahat sila pumayag ma-relegate as assistants to the head coach.?
?And the players, wow! Wala akong nasamahang national team na ganun ka-discipline,? he said. ? Bata man o matanda, kapag sinabing gising nang 4 a.m. to undergo conditioning exercises, bangon lahat. Pagkatapos ng conditioning training sa umaga, basketall naman sa hapon.?
?And you know how much our allowance was? Twenty pesos a day, ganun lang. Pero at the start, kinausap na man ni BAP president (Lito) Puyat na ganun lang ang kaya ng BAP. Para naman sa bayan, so, payag kami lahat.?
?And because we were not allowed play for our mother teams, except the collegiate members, naka-quarter kami, Adornado, who played for Crispa and Universal Textiles as a pro and a three-time MVP awardee, said. ? Sama-sama. Kuwentuhan at laro ng parlor games kapag walang ensayo. ?Four to five months kaming magkakasama sa isang bahay at sa ensayo. Pag weekend dalaw sa pamilya.,? he recalled. ?Ang nangyari, bago pa lang mag-ABC, para na kaming magkakapatid. Kung noong magkakalaban kami nagsusuntukan, nagbabalyahan, nagduduraan, nang bandang huli nagkikilitian na lang kami.?
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Eddie Alinea.
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