Dubai: Philippines coach Michael Ray Jarin is relishing his country’s debut at the Fiba Under-17 World Championship, which gets under way in Dubai from Friday.
The Filipino coach, who is currently contracted with the Barako Bulls in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), is looking at his country’s first appearance in three attempts as an opportunity to rub shoulders with the best players in junior-level basketball on the world stage.
And besides carrying the flag for Asia, this nine-day competition is also a rare chance for the Philippine team to prove that they are capable of making it big in the sport in the next few years.
Jarin says he is pleased at being pitted in Group A with defending two-time champions USA, Greece and African champions Angola. “It’s like the best of three worlds for us as we get ready for such an important competition. We have the defending champions, the champions of Africa and, of course, one of the best teams in Europe. We are here to see where we stand in the world of junior basketball,” Jarin told media before a training session with his players at the Al Shabab indoor court on Thursday.
“Honestly, we are simply happy to be here playing in a world championship. When the under-17 competition started [in 2010], it was our goal to qualify. And now that we have achieved this goal, we want to see how far we can get,” he added.
The Philippines turned out some impressive performances as they booked their ticket to Dubai. In the Fiba Under-16 Asian Championship held in Iran last year, the South-East Asian nation finished runners-up to qualify for this week’s competition. “We saw that feat as a major achievement as we needed to do something in this age category. Everything is new for us at the moment. These are baby steps for us. But we come here with a lot of heart and competitive spirit. These are young lads, but I expect them to show how big their hearts really are,” Jarin said.
Japan, China and hosts UAE are the other three Asian sides in the competition, but Jarin feels the bulk of responsibility for carrying the continental flag rests on the Philippines. “We are up against the best in the world and it is our responsibility to take up the challenge, and this is what I have been trying to impress my bunch of 12 kids,” he said.
“These boys have been superb. They are the best we have. They are disciplined and motivated, and like any other team, they are prone to making mistakes. So my job is to just fine-tune these aspects so that they can give of their best on court,” he added.
“We always wanted to play against the USA simply because they are the best. When we come to a tournament, we need to see how we measure up against the best sides. We may lack the height or the consistency in shooting, but we may snatch a win or two here.”
