“I usually end up giving a scouting report [on the Patriots],” said Singapore’s Al Vergara, one of 11 Filipinos reinforcing five other club teams in the region’s first basketball league.
“Our coach would ask me who these players are, how they play,” Vergara added in Filipino. “It’s hard. Some of them are my former teammates, so it feels like I’m betraying them.”
The Singapore Slingers dealt the Patriots’ first loss with Vergara playing a key role in a 74-69 decision last Oct. 18 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.
The Brunei Barracudas, powered by ex-pros Kiko Adriano, Don Camaso and Leo Avenido, also inflicted the Patriots’ only other loss last Dec 13.
“It’s hard emotionally because I am a Filipino,” said Brunei’s Filipino coach Bong Ramos after his Barracudas embarrassed the Patriots with a 95-70 drubbing at the Brunei Indoor Stadium.
“But at the same time I’m also happy,” he said.
“This is Brunei’s first professional basketball team, so for me to get one win over the Patriots, we’ve already achieved our goal. It’s a difficult job.”
Other Filipinos seeing action in the the six-nation, home-and-away tournament are former PBA guard Rensy Bajar for Indonesia Satria Muda Britama; ex-Liga Pilipinas cagers Ricky Ricafuente, Glenn Bolocon and Axel Doruelo for the Thailand Tigers; and former varsity standouts Roel Hugnatan, Rudy Lingganay and Toto Bandaying for the Kuala Lumpur Dragons.
“There are a lot of adjustments,” said Vergara.
“Like with the language, sometimes it’s hard to understand your coach.
“The training is also different. In the Philippines, we run, sprint, there’s a lot of focus on our physical conditioning. Here, it’s more on mental. We also spend a lot of time on plays, because a lot of their locals are still learning the game.”
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