JEDDAH, 18 January — The ABS-CBN-The Filipino Channel basketball team of Jeddah clinched the guest team championship award of the Safari-Metal Work Friendship Games.
The Friendship Games is a pilot project of the Safari Basketball Association in coordination with the Jeddah All-Sports Development (JADE), and is principally sponsored by Safari project manager Abdullah Shamasi and Metal Work Company’s. Ali Muhammad Badreddine. Minor sponsors include Al-Husseini & Co., distributor of Seiko watches in Kingdom, Goody-Basahm Trading and International Foods & Consumable Goods Co. (Snapple Juice). Much needed support is provided by IAP senior engineer Chris Bain, SCL camp manager Gamal Bushara, general adviser of the group, O&M Superintendent Bobby Victoriano and Mr. Ben Ramiscal.
Propped up by bull-strong pf Rene Consignado and the devil-may-care sg A.J. Marcelino plus a hardworking Nelson Ducha, the satellite providers under Mr. Raffy Jizon and TFC country manager Antonio F. Velo staged a whirlwind appearance right from the start crushing PD-Michelin, 77-54.
The blue shirts were even more menacing on their second assignment essaying a murderous 84-49 assault of the Jeddah Knight. The 35-point blowout remains the standing record for most points-differential by any team that ever played thus far at the Safari Astrodome and have since alerted other teams to upgrade their line-ups or be prepared to be eaten alive.
A vastly improved Jeddah Thai took on them next and TFC were engaged into a very close contest in three-quarters. However, the cable makers were not to be denied victory as tiny pg Abogado rose to the occasion providing the needed back-up to unstoppable southpaw R. Consignado when the other usual go-to-guy A. J. Marcelino’s guns tapered off. They won that game 72-57.
They met the stiffest resistance at the hands of Jungleland whom they trailed most of the way. A flick of fortune came through in the dying minutes and when the smoke of battle cleared, TFC emerged the winner, 77-71.
The most significant aspect of TFC’s gracing the Friendship Games would be raising up the quality of cage actions at the Safari Astrodome and the stoking of the fiery competitiveness of the teams. Since they met, JungleLand has acquired the services of ace player Pat Cecilio who has been doing wonders for the youthful Mersal squad.
Michelin-PD who suffered the ignominy of a 23-point loss had gone full-blast in gearing up for the big time hauling in almost a quarter of the disbanded SHM Selection led by the likes of Roel Cabilen, Romy Quito, Eugene Santos, Lito Taclay and Rolly Bagaporo. The only original mainstays are few; sf Rod la Torre, Ric Acaba and fifty-two year old but still playing Manny Mercado. Not yet content with the streamlining parts and parcel of the team, the wheel makers also recruited newcomers Allan Zorilla who mans the center effectively and then the cerebral point guard Jay Sicat. The result was phenomenal, down 0-2; PD-Michelin is they now sport a 4-2 card, an awesome threat to any team.
Gillette Mach3 thought Leo Almoite could lift them and initially dropped of Pantoja and Cecilio but has later reinserted the former in its line-up while making up for the loss of the latter with the acquisition of center-forward Torres. The blade makers won the King Abdulaziz International Airport Rim invitational crown last December and decided to explore the competition at the Friendship Games. Coach Monching Constantino’s prospect looks bright as they run second fiddle with a 3-1 card.
Miyabe Abe is at 3-2 and remains in good hunt for a semifinals berth. However, the black shirts of Coach Ed Cunanan and manager Jags Malit are not as potent as before when they still have J. Naguit in their line-up. Talastas and Manaloto are obviously excellent players but they still need a strong bevy of supporters in the same mould which other teams have gone to acquire.
Not to be outdone, Jeddah Thai who totes a 3-3 card have gone to the length of recruiting Dynarabia mainstays Art Oliva and Hurco in addition to the other half of the disbanded Safari Selection that includes Romel Montes, Bobby Carreon, Noel Salugsugan, Nelson Guinto and Onyok Ventinilla. There is a planned enormous move of getting the services of six-footer Margate, but as can be gleaned from their even slate, the chemistry of the players had not blended well unlike the formula that PD-Michelin employed.
Jeddah Knightz under Ludy Celestial and team consultant Levi Estorco forged a team-up of Safari players with Saudi Binladen counterparts but could only show a 2-2 card. If any consolation, the exciting Jason Villanueva plus his brigades of Gerry Samartina, Vic Carreon and Nabus is a stark improvement. Villanueva’s dazzling aerial display and Samartina’s exquisite feeds are wondrous delight to the audience negating the callousness of their bench players who make up their shortcomings as great kibitzers (dakilang miron) when they are not playing.
Budget Universal Car rental, the likely candidate for the team sportsmanship award has fallen by the wayside with a 2-5 card but here is a team, which refused to expand or keep up with the Joneses as long as their small circle of friends and associates whip up some minute in the court. Their line-up, remained basically the same in strength as it was in the beginning. Lito Esquierdo typified the kind of a player whose offensive moves are simple but effective at most. Amazona’s undergoal stabs were flawless and coach Philip Eustaquio showed that Big D would remain as an important facet of the game long after the Big J has gone to play elsewhere.
