Pogoy looks forward to facing Thai team that nearly beat them in 2016

Jane Bracher

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Pogoy looks forward to facing Thai team that nearly beat them in 2016
RR Pogoy is eager to take on Thailand once more a year after the cadet team he was part of was nearly upset twice in the SEABA Stankovic Cup

MANILA, Philippines – Cadets like RR Pogoy and Jio Jalalon who are now part of Gilas Pilipinas will have extra motivation when they face Thailand in the 2017 SEABA Championships next week.

Pogoy, for one, is eager to take on the Thais once more a year since the cadet team he was part of was nearly upset twice in the biennial SEABA Stankovic Cup.

Malakas ‘yun e, muntik kami matalo nung last SEABA na naglaro kami (They’re strong, we almost lost to them in the last SEABA we competed in),” Pogoy recalled in an interview with Rappler after the Philippine national men’s basketball team’s Monday morning, May 8 practice session in the Meralco Gym.

Lamang lang yata namin mga 3 or 4 points (I think we were up only by 3 or 4 points).”

The Gilas cadets, then coached by TNT’s Nash Racela, were twice in the jaws of an eager Thailand side – once near the end of eliminations, where the Philippines won by only a point, and in the final, where the Thais came to within 3 points in the fourth – before the Filipinos escaped.

Chitchai Ananti, who had a game-high 19 points in the final, will be back for the Thais and it will again be a highly anticipated matchup as Thailand is pegged as one of the teams that could potentially snare the Philippines.

Pogoy, a 24-year-old swingman, playfully hinted the matchup on Tuesday, May 16 may mean getting back at Thailand for Gilas’ near-misses last year. But it will all still boil down to getting the job done regardless of the opponent.

Basta ang importante, palagi sinasabi sa amin ni coach Chot (Reyes) na must-win itong SEABA kasi walang kwenta kung hindi kami mag-champion, wala na kami sa FIBA,” he said.

(The important thing is what coach Chot always tells us that SEABA is a must-win because it wouldn’t matter if we aren’t champions, we won’t play in FIBA.)

Teaching the vets

Though it is Pogoy’s first time to play for the senior men’s team, his experiences as a cadet and a rookie for TNT have come in handy.

Wala masyadong adjustment kasi ‘yung plays pareho lang sa TNT e, dribble drive lang,” he shared. “Naga-adjust lang ako sa mga kasama ko kasi may mga beterano, may mga bata rin.”

(There wasn’t much adjustment because the plays are similar to that of TNT, the dribble drive. I had to adjust only with playing alongside veterans and rookies like me.)

Being familiar with the plays of coach Chot Reyes has also made Pogoy a point person for some of the veterans as they learn it, too.

Kinakausap ko rin sila, sila June Mar (Fajardo), Japeth (Aguilar), para alam ko rin ano gagawin nila,” he said, adding the veterans likewise advise him about helping each out other on the court.

Minsan ako rin naga-advice rin kasi alam ko na ‘yung play kasi kay coach Chot na play, ‘yun din play namin sa TNT.”

(I talk to guys like June Mar and Japeth so I know, too, what they will do. Sometimes I offer them advice because I know coach Chot’s plays, the same plays with TNT.)

While the SEABA tournament is a high-stakes play for a Gilas squad that needs to win gold to qualify for the FIBA Asia Cup and Asian Qualifiers, Pogoy is equally excited to wear the Pilipinas jersey before home fans.

Excited tapos kinakabahan kasi first time ko maglaro e tapos dito pa sa Pilipinas. Siguro challenge na rin kung paano ko dalhin ‘yun mula Friday.” (I’m excited but nervous at the same time because it’s my first time to play and it’ll be here in the Philippines. Perhaps that will be a challenge for me how to carry myself starting Friday.) – Rappler.com

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