PHNOM PENH — Before they became successful coaches in the Philippine Basketball Association, Derrick Pumaren and Yeng Guiao suffered heartbreaking defeats when the Philippine team they were coaching in the 1989 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur lost the gold medal game to the host.
Pumaren was regarded as the finest coach outside the Philippine Basketball Association, having been the one calling the shots for multi-titled Magnolia in the Philippine Amateur Basketball League.
Also, Pumaren had just steered La Salle to back-to-back titles (1989-1990) in the Universities Athletic Association of the Philippines.
Guiao, on the other hand, was a rising star and was being groomed to become the coach of RFM Swift, which at that time had already applied as an expansion team in the PBA.
In fact, Guiao had just led Swift Squeeze Juice Drinks to the championship in the Freedom Cup of the 1989 season of the PABL, defeating Sta. Lucia, whose team executive, Buddy Encarnado, also served as team manager of the SEA Games squad.
The players Pumaren and Guiao had were culled from the PABL and the collegiate ranks.
They had future PBA great Vergel Meneses and Jun Limpot, Gerry Esplana, Jun Reyes, brother of Chot Reyes, the late Gido Babilonia, Larry Villanil, Peter Jao, Carlito Mejos, Dodong Postanes, Bonel Balingit, Johnedel Cardel and Vic Pablo.
Had it not been for their decision to jump to the PBA, Benjie Paras, Nelson Asaytono, Bong Alvarez would have beefed up that SEA Games team.
Back in the days, a single-round elimination was in effect with the top team emerging as the gold medalist.
Only five teams competed in the basketball competitions that time — host Malaysia, Philippines, Thailand, Singapore and Indonesia.
The Filipinos won three of four games, losing to Malaysia, 99-107, while the host country went on to sweep the elimination round all the way to clinching the gold medal.
“There was no game for the gold medal,” recalled Esplana. “The top team is being declared as champion.”
Pumaren echoed Esplana’s observation.
“The Basketball Association of the Philippines, then headed by Mr. Lito Puyat, was really furious. And the gym that we were staying from the venue to hold our practices? It would take us two hours, then once we arrive, there was brownout in the area and we could not practice.”
But Guiao also recalled a similar situation.
“There were incidents where there were no brownouts, but they would simply shut down the electricity in the practice venue and tell us that practice time is over, so you cannot practice anymore,” Guiao added.
But Encarnado had a different view on why Malaysia defeated the Philippines in the 1989 SEA Games.
“The ones that Malaysia built was a team designed for a five-year program,” said Encarnado in a telephone conversation.
“This is the same Malaysia team which beat us in the Jones Cup and this was also the team that defeated a Korean team that features star player Hur Jae, so we lost to this team fair and square.”
Last year, Gilas Pilipinas became the latest squad to experience losing the gold medal in the SEA Games when it got defeated by Indonesia, bannered by several naturalized players led by Marqus Bolden, for the gold medal.
“Our stint in 1989 was forgettable and we were already forgotten, until the Philippines lost the gold medal last year in the SEA Games, so the ones that is being remembered more was the latest defeat,” Esplana added.
Gilas Pilipinas, which starts its campaign on 9 May, will be on a redemption tour and will be led by new naturalized player Justin Brownlee and newly-minted Governors’ Cup Best Player Christian Standhardinger, two big stars of Barangay Ginebra.
