(From Yahoo!)
A member of the Philippine basketball team which finished 3rd in the 1954 FIBA World Championship said it would take hard work and sheer love of the game for the Philippines to be truly successful again in the international basketball scene.
Antonio Genato, who played alongside other basketball greats like Carlos “The Big Difference” Loyzaga and Lauro Mumar in the 50’s, said the reason why they were successful during their heydays is that they never cared about the money.
“Nowadays, it’s not for the love of the sport, which we were that way. We were never paid during that time, we played for the love of the sport. Period,” said the 81-year-old legend, who was among those recently inducted to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.
Aside from Genato, Loyzaga and Mumar, the 1954 RP team was also composed of Ponciano Saldaña, Bayani Amador, Francisco Rabat, Rafael Barretto, Mariano Tolentino, Florentino Bautista Jr., Benjamin Francisco and Ramon Manulat. They were coached by Herminio Silva.
Genato cited as an example their close game against Uruguay in the 1954 World Championship. The RP team won, 67-63, for 3rd place.
“When we would have to play hard, tough and dirty, we would have to do it… Against Uruguay, it was matira matibay. That was the game we had against them. We had to do that to win that third place,” he said.
Genato said the present crop of players can improve by improving their skills in the basics of the game.
“The new system now I don’t think it works because there’s no skills involved anymore. It’s body against body, there’s no skills as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
His team’s losses in the World Championship quarterfinals came at the hands of the US team, which went on to win the championship, and eventual 2nd-placer Brazil.
Genato said he would be interested to see the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas squad in action once they return from their training abroad.
“I told him (Coach Rajko Toroman) that when they come back from their trip, I wanna watch them and I’ll give my two cents worth,” he said.
A member of the Philippine basketball team which finished 3rd in the 1954 FIBA World Championship said it would take hard work and sheer love of the game for the Philippines to be truly successful again in the international basketball scene.
Antonio Genato, who played alongside other basketball greats like Carlos “The Big Difference” Loyzaga and Lauro Mumar in the 50’s, said the reason why they were successful during their heydays is that they never cared about the money.
“Nowadays, it’s not for the love of the sport, which we were that way. We were never paid during that time, we played for the love of the sport. Period,” said the 81-year-old legend, who was among those recently inducted to the Philippine Sports Hall of Fame.
Aside from Genato, Loyzaga and Mumar, the 1954 RP team was also composed of Ponciano Saldaña, Bayani Amador, Francisco Rabat, Rafael Barretto, Mariano Tolentino, Florentino Bautista Jr., Benjamin Francisco and Ramon Manulat. They were coached by Herminio Silva.
Genato cited as an example their close game against Uruguay in the 1954 World Championship. The RP team won, 67-63, for 3rd place.
“When we would have to play hard, tough and dirty, we would have to do it… Against Uruguay, it was matira matibay. That was the game we had against them. We had to do that to win that third place,” he said.
Genato said the present crop of players can improve by improving their skills in the basics of the game.
“The new system now I don’t think it works because there’s no skills involved anymore. It’s body against body, there’s no skills as far as I’m concerned,” he said.
His team’s losses in the World Championship quarterfinals came at the hands of the US team, which went on to win the championship, and eventual 2nd-placer Brazil.
Genato said he would be interested to see the Smart-Gilas Pilipinas squad in action once they return from their training abroad.
“I told him (Coach Rajko Toroman) that when they come back from their trip, I wanna watch them and I’ll give my two cents worth,” he said.
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