The Philippine national team, Smart Gilas Pilipinas, joined the tournament for the first time. It is a part of coach Rajko Toroman's training to let the players go up against international basketball teams so that they will be ready for the Olympic-qualifying (FIBA, I think) tournament in 2011. The team's goal is really to play at the Olympics in 2012. I don't know much about the details, all I know is that the team composed of players who played big in collegiate basketball tournaments are getting better and earning the respect of national teams from other countries.

They won the 5 games out of 7 here in Dubai and I have watched 6 out of 7 games, live. A lot of kabayans came to watch them play, some where there as staunch Gilas supporters, some came for Chris Tiu (the basketball/celebrity player), and some because they are just pure basketball enthusiasts. I came because I'm a big supporter of Philippine basketball and because of Mac Baracael and well, Chris Tiu. Okay, shoot me. :X

Gilas had the chance to win 1st runner-up or even champions but they lost a tough and very emotional game against the Lebanese national team, Al Riyadi, during the semifinals. It was heart-breaking because the stadium which was filled up to the rafters thought that Gilas would win but with less than 2 minutes before the end of the ball game, the Lebanese imports when to work, cutting the 6-point lead of Gilas and eventually took the lead at the dying seconds of the game. 76-79 was the final score. The players of Gilas played really hard, played without an import against a team with 5 U.S. imports, played despite the height disadvantage, and played with all their hearts. That's what everyone in the team has, a big heart and the desire to come out as the best, fearlessly driving against those huge foreign players.

Gilas may have lost the chance for Filipinos to brag rights as champions in the New Generation Cup but they earned the respect of the other teams. Coach Toroman said, "We proved that height isn't everything in basketball... If you don't have the size, you compensate for it with you heart." Gilas won third place against Al Jalaa - Syria plus JV Casio was picked as the best point guard of the tournament (Al Jalaa was their first opponent in the tournament which also gave them their first lost). The Lebanese players ended up second with Mahram - Iran winning the first place in the tournament.

I know Gilas is a young team and still has a long way to go but I'm proud of how far they have come. Congratulations Smart Gilas Pilipinas!