Offer from Kuwait nat’l team may be reason for missing Al-Hussaini

MANILA, Philippines – A few weeks ago, Meralco Bolts center Rabeh Al-Hussaini requested time away from his team to fix his papers and get his pension from Kuwait.

The former Ateneo big man left in early May, and was supposed to be gone for only 10 days. However, about 23 days has passed and Al-Hussaini has yet to return. 

According to a source close to Al-Hussaini, a reason for this former UAAP MVP’s absence may be due to a standing offer for him to play for the Kuwait national basketball team. 

“He’s in Kuwait right now. He has family there – his dad’s side,” the source explained. “I think he might play for the Kuwait team, because it has better pay and all these benefits.”

There were reports in 2009 that Al-Husaini had been offered a shot to play for the Kuwait national team. But the promising big man elected to join the 2010 PBA Draft, where he was selected second overall by Air21 (the franchise that is now Barako Bull), next to college teammate Nonoy Baclao.

Disappointment

“I was in the US, he asked permission if he can go to Kuwait for 10 days to fix his papers and get his pension,” Meralco head coach Ryan Gregorio explained what transpired earlier this month.

“For humanitarian reasons I told him, ‘Rabs, you’re under contract. It’s gonna be hard. It’s a very short conference. But you know in my heart I will agree to that simply because I want food on the table for you and I want a better future for your family. But please be back in 10 days as what you’ve mentioned to me.'”

Gregorio did not hold back in admitting his disappointment over losing the bigman he badly needed in the season-ending PBA Governors’ Cup, after the Bolts failed once again to crack through the semis last conference. 

“It’s disappointing. I cannot hold back on things like that. I have lofty plans for him. I’ve traded key players just to get him on board, for him to be part of our team in the future,” Gregorio said.

“But with this, it’s hard to comprehend how you can miss out and pretty much like leave your teammates fighting and you’re somewhere doing something.”

Furthermore, Gregorio admitted he has yet to hear from their center. Though he has said that Al-Hussaini has been in contact with team manager Butch Antonio, who is set to look into legal options on how to deal their missing big.

Meralco has gotten off to a pedestrian start in the Governors’ Cup. After losing their first 4 games, the Bolts are currently in last place in conference team standings, and are in critical danger of missing the postseason thanks to their lack of frontline depth which was caused by the absence of their 25-year-old big man.

“I was expecting a lot of things from Rabeh this conference after not really playing significant minutes last conference because of a tall import,” Gregorio lamented.

“It’s just unfortunate that he’s not here especially because we lack the ceiling, we lack his height, we lack his presence. And we prepared for this conference with him.”

Disciplinary action 

Al-Hussaini had an outstanding freshman campaign – he was later on traded to Petron (now San Miguel) late in the season – averaging 14.2 PPG and 6.9 RPG to win the 2009-2010 PBA Rookie of the Year award.

However, his career hasn’t taken off and he’s been bugged with injuries ever since.

The source, who had spent time with Al-Hussaini off the court in the past and prefers to remain anonymous, also added that certain problems between the troubled big man and his head coach may have lead to Rabeh taking the offer from the Kuwait team. According to him, “Rabeh and his coach have gotten into a couple disagreements.”

In light of Al-Hussaini missing a chunk of this conference, Gregorio says disciplinary action will be taken once he returns.

“I am certain there will be. But again, it’s him. You cannot really force him to do things differently. He has made a decision on that and I hope he realizes it, that he is a professional. You’re supposed to act like one. There are expected standards that he must follow.”

According to the source, Al-Hussaini is currently in Kuwait with his wife, whom he married in the same country recently.

The Bolts are back in action on June 1, Sunday, and will take on the Alaska Aces at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. – with reports from Naveen Ganglani and Jane Bracher/Rappler.com