Jun 19, 2007, 1:08 pm
Philippines - National team to fight for 2008 Olympic ticket
From english.people.com.cn
The Philippine men's national basketball team seemed determined to compete for a ticket to 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as the coach reacted to Wednesday's draw for the FIBA-Asia Men's Championship, a local newspaper reported on Thursday.
Chot Reyes, head coach of the national team San Miguel-Pilipinas, said that the Philippines fell into a "group of death" including defending champion China and Middle Eastern powerhouses Jordan and Iran, the Manila Bulletin reported.
"Unfortunately, we're in the Group of Death," the report quoted Reyes as saying on learning of the draws from the host city Tokushima, Japan.
"This team and this country have come too far to be denied," he said. "It is not our style to dwell on negatives, so our only focus now is how to beat Iran and Jordan."
The Philippines won the title for the Southeast Asia Basketball Associations (SEABA) Men's Championship in Ratchaburi, Thailand two weeks ago.
Indonesia, the only other Southeast Asian team in the field at Tokushima, finished second to the Philippines in that tournament.
FIBA in February this year lifted a ban that had prevented Philippine basketball team from attending any international match since 2005.
The FIBA-Asia Championship, scheduled on July 28 to Aug. 5, will pick the continent's representative to the Beijing Olympics in August next year.
If China, which is seeded to the Olympics as host country, makes it to the Tokushima final, the other finalist automatically qualifies to the Games.
And if the Chinese fails to advance to the championship, only the winner will go to Beijing.
From english.people.com.cn
The Philippine men's national basketball team seemed determined to compete for a ticket to 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing as the coach reacted to Wednesday's draw for the FIBA-Asia Men's Championship, a local newspaper reported on Thursday.
Chot Reyes, head coach of the national team San Miguel-Pilipinas, said that the Philippines fell into a "group of death" including defending champion China and Middle Eastern powerhouses Jordan and Iran, the Manila Bulletin reported.
"Unfortunately, we're in the Group of Death," the report quoted Reyes as saying on learning of the draws from the host city Tokushima, Japan.
"This team and this country have come too far to be denied," he said. "It is not our style to dwell on negatives, so our only focus now is how to beat Iran and Jordan."
The Philippines won the title for the Southeast Asia Basketball Associations (SEABA) Men's Championship in Ratchaburi, Thailand two weeks ago.
Indonesia, the only other Southeast Asian team in the field at Tokushima, finished second to the Philippines in that tournament.
FIBA in February this year lifted a ban that had prevented Philippine basketball team from attending any international match since 2005.
The FIBA-Asia Championship, scheduled on July 28 to Aug. 5, will pick the continent's representative to the Beijing Olympics in August next year.
If China, which is seeded to the Olympics as host country, makes it to the Tokushima final, the other finalist automatically qualifies to the Games.
And if the Chinese fails to advance to the championship, only the winner will go to Beijing.