Gilas Diaries: The Taiwan Issue

(The first of 3 parts)

MANILA, Philippines — The past few weeks have brought about a couple of burning issues affecting the Gilas program that need immediate attention and dissection. Read on.

The Taiwan Issue

I wanted to see how Taiwan would play in its 5th place game against Mongolia in the 2013 East Asia Basketball Association Championships in Incheon, South Korea.

This is in the context of rumors that Taipei wanted to sever all sports-related exchanges with Manila, most notably the participation of Gilas Pilipinas in the 2013 Jones Cup and Taiwan’s participation in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championships, in the wake of the unfortunate shooting incident involving a Taiwanese fisherman and the Philippine Coast Guard.

These rumors, of course, are unconfirmed and unofficial. At best, the Taiwanese media played out some footage of some local politicians and sports personalities fanning the flames with their poorly-constructed comments about the behavior of Filipino athletes. They basically handpicked a few unfortunate altercations between Taiwanese and Filipino players from the past years and used these to form disparaging remarks. 

It’s an unethical exercise in journalism. It influences public opinion without due consideration for both sides of the issue. It’s an overreaction swept up by the sudden surge of nationalistic tendencies and the seeming desperation of Prime Minister Ma Ying-Jeou brought about by an alarmingly low 19% trust/support rating.

And now basketball has gotten caught in the crosshairs. 

Not that this is the first time politics and hoops have ever mixed. In theory, they shouldn’t have anything to do with each other, but in the messiness of our reality, it is inevitable developments in the former spill over into the latter (and vice versa naturally). 

The common ground between politics and sports can be as subtle (really?) as electing a basketball superstar or boxing icon into public office, to something as direct as a Senate inquiry into a stupid new rule in collegiate basketball. And then of course we just had the Shanghai Sharks over for a pair of “goodwill games” that weren’t exactly politically uncharged (yes, it’s a double-negative, get over it). 

The prospect of Gilas Pilipinas’s invitation to the Jones Cup being revoked, or the Taiwanese national team boycotting the FIBA Asia joust, however, is particularly disturbing.

On one hand, our boys will be deprived of the chance to defend the title they won last year, while on the other, the Taipei quintet will be deprived of the chance to be blown out at the Mall of Asia Arena (okay, that didn’t help did it?). 

Seriously, though, the failings and missteps on the diplomatic table should not have effects this extreme. If anything, I believe that, should the rumors turn into facts, then both countries will miss out on opportunities to extend goodwill and mend relations. Again, I allude to the Shanghai Sharks’ here. The tensions between the mainland (because, if I am not mistaken, Manila doesn’t officially recognize Taipei as independent from Beijing) and the 7,107 isles have been diluted significantly in no small part because of both parties’ efforts on and off the court.

Let basketball, or sports in general, NOT be the victim here, but, instead, let it be the catalyst for renewing and strengthening ties.

Just, umm, don’t have Beau Belga or Calvin Abueva, or any potential hot-heads play the Taiwanese. That would just be asking for it.

As for the Mongolia game? 

Taiwan won, 94-86, to qualify for the 2013 FIBA Asia tourney. Maybe they want to get blown out after all.

#parasabayan – Rappler.com

Enzo Flojo is one of the closest followers of the Philippine National Basketball Team. He is a self-proclaimed Asian Basketball hoop nut, and he doubts if anyone knows as much as he does about the best players in this corner of the world. He maintains a nationally-recognized basketball blog (HoopNut.com), and he hopes you can pester him on Twitter — @hoopnut.