JEDDAH, 3 May — Filipinos are known to be "gung ho" over basketball as evidenced by the preponderance of Pinoy basketball tournaments sweeping Jeddah here, there and everywhere.
But are other nationalities, Saudis including, able to catch up? Then again, they say life begins at 40 but can one play real competitive basketball at that age? These are the two lingering questions worth pondering as basketball from all indications has come of age here by the bride of the Red Sea.
The answer to the first query is open-ended while the second one was not really satisfactorily answered when the SCBA experimented with the so-called Friendship Cup last year. That league featured a merry mix-up of above-40 cagers but then along, the very young, novice players were also part of the picture.
Now, the Saudi Companies Basketball Association United Team in coordination with the Jeddah All-Sports Development are keen to institutionalize an almost genuine 40 & above league. There will be no youngsters this time around and the main battle cry of participants long been relegated to mere spectators of the game will be, perfectly understood translated in vernacular: "Kami naman! " (Now it’s us!)
SCBA Chairman Dennis Eco and JADE President F. Rocky Tadili believe that squeezing out a potentially rich but untapped market of basketball enthusiasts has long been in coming. Players past their prime but not yet truly over the hill is an exciting venture to explore. That is, given the notion that most expatriate cagers are not getting any younger hence, a window of opportunity is dangled wide open to keep them in tip-top shape. The need to satisfy the lingering itchiness of near-senior citizens to play basketball in an even field would in the real sense play second fiddle to a nobler aim, that is creating an atmosphere to keep them fit.
Set to run counter amidst a cacophony of theories that abound, the cagefest aims in providing a perfect venue where unity and harmony has a chance to become the overriding theme from cage participants, irrespective of their cultural orientation. The 40 and above edition of the Lanao Lakers (Mike Maulana), Cotabato Warriors, Mindanao Federation Basketball Association (Omar Mitchell, Pedro Ronatay & Rick Lumasag), PCS Cargo (Jags Malit & Ed Cunanan). Dynarabia Fire Rescue (Attiah Al-Lehani & Ed Marquez), Zahid Tractor (Nasser Bayram & Abuhanoud) and Philippine Consulate (Gene Gangco) head the initial batch of participants.
The rare basketball treat with accompanying inter-commercial and open-rated division will be held on May 10 at the Al-Ahli gym highlighted by an exhibition game between the Lanao Lakers versus United Tausog squads. The SCBA United Team headed by Talat Alam and VP Ali Sanhani along with their Saudi friends had lately ironed out kinks with their Filipino counterparts Boy Teves, Vener Torres and Edd Reyta in order to pave for the Eco-Tadili tandem of running the games at Al-Ahli.
The inter-commercial teams that have signified their intentions to participate are Giant Store-Pride (Orlando Carpio), Watani-Green Farms (Sammy Lumboy & Rene Valle), Sawary-Red Bull (Rene Ramirez & Edwin Teruel), Arab News (Javeed Akhtar), SPSNET- (Ali A. Ajami & Jun Panilag), Jeddah Graphics Center (Waleed Kattab), Ajwa’a, Michelin-SCLPD (Mahmoud Dayhoum & Bogs Cortez).
Lending their support to this tournament will be SPSNET (Alia A. Ajami, Metal Work Co. (Engr. Mohammed Ali Badredinne) Nivea Beaute (Ali Saeed), Saudi Business Insight (Abrahim Turki & GM Raed Habiss). Others are United Motors (Sami Gibril), International Food & Consumable Goods Co.-Snapple Juice Drinks (Mohammad Badie Tayea & Mohammad Bilal Antar).
The continuing upsurge that attracts nationalities other than the frequently entered Pinoy cagers will be given the needed momentum in the open-rated division. The standouts of King Abdul Aziz University Saudi cagers will showcase their talents along with the Saudi Army & Police team, the Swatch squad and Jaffali, which have strong and very competitive non-Filipino lineups to boast. These squads have shown that they too are capable of dishing out excellent basketball where their knack for knocking down trifecta shots has become deadlier than their Pinoy counterparts. Then there are also some that can amaze the crowd with their dunking ability like Abdul Mohsen Marwani and Al-Ahli regular Mohammed Al Towal. The Egyptian brigades led by Osama are showing their dominance be it in the FBA of Gil Manese & Hernan Huerto, MFBA of Omar Mitchell & Mar M. Marzo, ALJ of Jimmy Beltran & Jun Gonzales, JBLIC and other backyard leagues of Mohammed Rasheed Suyat & Mohamed Bayoumi.
Just to show how basketball have proven to be a major draw here, even young professionals like 27-year old lawyer Waleed Kattab (assistant production manager of Jeddah Graphics Center) and Captain Saud of Saudi Police and other exciting personalities on and off the court are playing. And, magnificently at that! Amin Baharta, Abbas, Ali Sanhani, Rehan and national players of Senegal like Babadi and Ali Toure, 6-7 American cager Elser and tiny point guard Haberkorn, are also expected to see action.
