HOUSE Deputy Speaker Mikee Romero stressed the need to have not just one but a pool of naturalized players that Gilas Pilipinas can tap for various major international tournaments.
Romero said the pool of naturalized players can be rotated depending on the need in Gilas campaings in the Fiba World Cup, the World Cup qualifiers, Asian Games, FIBA Asia Championship, and even the Southeast Asian Games.
As of now, Gilas has Andray Blatche listed as the team’s naturalized player, although Christian Standhardinger, Stanley Pringle, and Jordan Clarkson fall under the same status in the eyes of FIBA despite having Filipino lineage.
Romero, who owns the NorthPort franchise in the PBA and a former chairman of the league board, made the proposal in a special appearance in the weekly Philippine Sportswriters Association (PSA) Forum at the Amelie Hotel-Manila.
“For me kailangan mag-recruit tayo ng at least lima,” said the 1-Pacman party list representative on Tuesday. “For me, a pool of five and then i-rotate mo kung ano yung kailangan natin.”
Romero, who’s also part of the Philippine polo team competing in the 30th SEA Games which the country is hosting later this year, has a pending bill in Congress that seeks to naturalize Barangay Ginebra resident import Justine Brownlee.
“Of course I filed the Justine Brownlee bill naturalizing him. Pero yung nakita natin kay (coach) Yeng Guiao na Gilas Pilipinas ay kailangan talaga natin ng malalaki (na players),” said Romero in the session presented by San Miguel Corp., Braska Restaurant, Amelie Hotel, and the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR).
“Halimbawa ang kalaban mo mabilis, kailangan mo ng isang Justine Brownlee. Kung kailangan mo naman ng malalaki, e di ilaban mo 'yung malalaki. We really need to be flexible.”
Romero is grateful for all the work done for the national team by Blatche and the other naturalized players before him. But based on the way the former NBA player performed in the last World Cup, the lawmaker believes it’s time for others to take over his place.
“Itong si Andray Blatche for me, kumbaga napag-lumaan na natin. And of course, yung isa si (Marcus) Douthit. So for me the recruitment has to be very, very good,” said Romero.
Now it’s all up to the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) to chart the country’s basketball program, in which he hopes his proposal would be considered.
“May pera naman siguro ang SBP,” he said of the federation headed by Manny V. Pangilinan Sports Foundation president Al S. Panlilio.
Get more of the latest sports news & updates on SPIN.ph
NOTICE ON UNAUTHORIZED AND UNLAWFUL USE, PUBLICATION, AND/OR DISSEMINATION OF SPIN.PH CONTENT: Please be notified that any unauthorized and unlawful use, publication, and/or dissemination of Spin.ph’s content and/or materials is a direct violation of its legal and exclusive rights to the same, and shall be subject to appropriate legal action/s.
