Powerade-RP off to W. Jones Cup

Powerade-RP off to W. Jones Cup

MANILA – Buoyed by news that Jayjay Helterbrand’s hamstring pull may not be as serious as initially thought, Powerade-Team Pilipinas leaves for the William Jones Cup tournament in Taipei Thursday, putting its worthiness for a forthcoming battle to the ultimate test.

The Philippines opens its campaign in the 9-team, single round-robin

competition – held in honor of the founding secretary-general of the

International Basketball Federation (FIBA) – against Jordan at 7 p.m.

Saturday at the Hsinchuang Gymnasium.

“I wish the Powerade Team Pilipinas a safe and successful trip and

engagement,” said PBA commissioner Renauld ‘Sonny’ Barrios.

“Safe, in terms of staying healthy and away from injury. And

successful, in terms of fine-tuning preparations while seeing in

action and playing against some of the teams competing in Tianjin. I

ask our countrymen to pray for our team.”

The Nationals need all the prayers coming their way.

Powerade-RP coach Yeng Guiao has called the Jones Cup, which boasts off the men’s team of Iran, Lebanon, Jordan, South Korea, Japan and Kazakhstan, the “real test” vis-à-vis the 25th FIBA Asia Men’s Championship this August in Tianjin, China, which he labeled “the real thing.”

The top three teams in the FIBA Asia tourney will qualify to the 16th

World Championship in Istanbul, Turkey next year. Bracketed in Group A, along with Sri Lanka, the Philippines, Korea and

Japan hope to get past the two-round preliminaries and the critical

quarterfinals, and gain a shot at making it to the global stage with

the rest of the world.

But for now, focus will be on how the first-rate tuneup games in

Taipei will fan out, especially with the arrival of 6-foot-9 Japeth

Aguilar and Helterbrand’s apparent rebound from a painful injury.

Completing the RP team are skipper Asi Taulava, Sonny Thoss, Kerby Raymundo, James Yap, Gabe Norwood, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jared Dillinger, Mick Pennisi, Willie Miller, Arwind Santos, and Cyrus Baguio.

Pennisi, Baguio and Helterbrand are staying behind until Saturday, by

which time the Motolite-PBA Fiesta Cup Finals would have wrapped up.

Ryan Reyes, Helterbrand’s main sub at the point guard spot, will join

the trip but will most likely sit out the action to give his hamstring

injury more time to heal.

“I’m sad that I might not be able to play because all I want to do is

compete, especially against the best from other countries,” said

Reyes, who suffered his injury in the country’s opening game against

Malaysia in the SEABA Men’s Championship in Medan, Indonesia last April.

“It would have been a good test to see how I fare against them, and

the adjustments I have to make. But all I can do now is get healthy

and hope that I’ll be O.K. by FIBA Asia. I’ll be supporting my

teammates all the way though.”

Taking Reyes’ place in the roster is veteran playmaker Wynne Arboleda, starting point guard for Guiao at Burger King.