Alen Stajcic

Alen Stajcic & The Incredible Filipinas

Following the footsteps of and in the same mold as Coach Tab Baldwin of Gilas Pilipinas, is another Coach, this time, the coach of Malditas, now renamed to Filipinas (wonder when we will change the name of Gilas).

Ok, so obviously, like Coach Tab, Coach Alen is also not Filipino, we know that.

But for someone not having Filipino blood, he sure has the heart and soul of one. He has the right attitude, never say die and the vision to turn the Philippines into a football nation. And believing that Filipinos can be Goliath beating Davids in the world of sports.

Late To The Party

The country is probably one of the last remaining nations on earth who haven't fully embraced the sport that the whole world loves to play. Don't get me wrong, of course Filipinos have long played football, millions of Filipinos love the sport, they have produced world class footballers. But we all know majority of the Filipinos are head over heels in love with basketball.

Interview with Coach Alen

Adopted

Since taking over the head coaching job for the Malditas in the middle of this pandemic, the turn around has been ridiculous.

From nowhere to barging into the semi finals of the AFC Womens Asian Cup, to winning a game in European soil (yes against a European team), to defeating Vietnam and Thailand convincingly and win the AFF Womens Championship, to bringing the Filipinas to the World Cup in 2023 and packing over 8,000 fans at the AFF Women's Championship Game at the Rizal Memorial Coliseum.

Photo from news.abs-cbn.com

There is only one way for football in the Philippines now -- up. Football is alive and well in the country and that's all that matters. Millions of young Filipinos and Filipinas will be inspired to be part of this shift.

Laban Filipinas!

Hidilyn Diaz - Olympic Gold

 

The Philippines used to have the uneviable reputation as the country having the most Olympic medals won without ever winning a gold.

Hidilyn Diaz herself has a silver medal from 2016 in Rio, as do two Philippine boxers who settled for second place.

Points Scoring System

Most observers believe that the Filipino boxers have traditionally not been given a fair enough treatment in terms of point scoring and presumably have been "robbed" a few times of the chance to win Olympic gold. But this is the risk of any sport using a judges based scoring system. It will always be inherently subjective and prone to human error.

Weightlifting

In other sports, like weightlifting, one do not have to score against an opponent. One just needs to be faster, higher, stronger than everyone else and do so within the rules of the game.

Hidilyn Diaz did this in a dramatic way, outlifting her closest opponent on the last lift and by one kilogram, establishing an Olympic record in the process.

Inadequate Funding

The Philippines is one of those less fortunate countries where individual athletes basically need to train and fend for themselves, especially in a pandemic.

Beating all the odds and the lack of comparable support and training which other countries enjoy, Hidilyn on her winning lift just lifted on her back and carried on her arms and shoulders the dreams of the entire Philippine nation, through her grit, passion and sheer determination -- truely a notable Filipina.

Another Filipina athlete, Arianne Cerdena technically won the Philippines' first Olympic gold medal, in the 1988 Seoul Olympic games. Bowling was a demonstration sport at that edition of the games and all the medals won in that sport at that time were not counted in the official medal tally.

Multiple Medals

Hidilyn joins fellow Filipino athlete, swimmer Teofilo Yldefonso as being the only Filipinos to win a medal in two Olympic games. Yldefonso won the bronze medal in the 1928 games in Amsterdam and repeated his podium finish in 1932 in Los Angeles.

Tokyo 2020 (2021)

Japan made it possible for dreamers like Hidilyn and other athletes from countries who have yet to win medals in the Olympics to achieve their dreams. They could have easily cancelled these games but they didn't. 

In doing so, the glass ceiling has been broken for Philippine sports. Push onwards athletes, the best is still to come.

If one athlete can do this, imagine what the Philippines can achieve when they all support one another and support their country.

Flag and anthem. Salute and tears. (Hidilyn is a sergeant in the Philippine Air Force)

96 years in the making

Let's watch how Hidilyn lifted her nation on her back and shoulders.

Drama all the way

Bowling

Arianne Cerdena winning the Olympic gold medal in Seoul 1988

Tab Baldwin

Tab Baldwin & Gilas Pilipinas

Okay, Coach Tab Baldwin is not Filipino, we know that. But for someone not having Filipino blood, he sure has the Filipino Puso (heart) and the Filipino balls, that of a David going after the Goliath.

Adopted

Also being the head of the Gilas Pilipinas Youth National Basketball Program, the (unofficial) national team sport of the Philippines, then he has become an adopted Filipino.

He has the uneviable task and Herculian burden of carrying Gilas on his shoulders through the next World Mens Basketball Games and who knows, even bringing back Philippine Basketball on the Olympic stage.

Balls of Steel

After publicly saying in a recent podcast what his personal opinions are of what is wrong with Phillipine basketball worrying not about angering FIBA, local Filipino coaches and the mighty SBP and the PBA, then he really could be considered as a certified adopted Pinoy -- fighting for the cause of Philippine basketball more than any other previous Filipino head coach,  even though he knows that he will be in the receiving end of criticism from his peers within the local Filipino coaching circle.

Sanctioned

Now after being sanctioned and fined and castigated by local coaches and the PBA, for speaking his mind, I just hope something positive will come out of his revelations, particularly because what he said is true.

Without changing any of the outmoded style of recruiting, training, selecting, coaching and everything else, then there is no way for Philippine basketball to move up internationally, especially now that all other national basketball programs are doing everything to better themselves, including recruiting foreign coaches and players.

Let's watch what he said here.

Time will tell and will come when his words will be proven true.

Filipinos -- World's Craziest Basketball Fans

7'6" Yao Ming knocks out 5"6' Pacquiao  #FIBAWC

The Philippines Loses Bid to Host FIBA World Cup of Basketball 2019

Even though the Philippines boasts as being home to the craziest basketballs fans in the planet, they still lost in their bid to host the next World Cup of Basketball to China.

This will be China's first time to host the FIBA WC, the Philippines hosted one back in 1978 when they then had the largest coliseum in the world.

Today, the Philippines has since built many other venues and again is home to the biggest indoor basketball arena in the world, one that could sit 55,000. They also boast of a few other other world class indoor arenas and they were so ready for this world cup.

Watch their final petition here:

Lou Diamond Phillips, Manny Paquiao, Jimmy Alapag, Chot Reyes

Yes, as in who could have turned that down?

But no, it wasn't meant to be and people all over the world could only speculate as to what could have been.

Authentic Love for the Sport

Because these crazy Filipinos do not need to "manufacture"anything, their hearts beat basketball, it was their time, like no other time. The Philippines didn't need much of anything else, when they have the greatest and most die-hard fans in the planet.

To give you an idea of how basketball crazy Filipinos are, like in the USA, they also have three professional sports seasons in one year -- but unlike in the US, they are all played in the basketball court (no pro soccer, no pro baseball, no pro American football, volleyball, cricket or anything else) -- just basketball, all year round.

Worldwide Online and Out

100 million plus basketball crazy fans within their 7,100 islands. Tens of millions of other "kababayans" all over the world at any given time, people who would most likely buy FIBA merchandise, welcome the players like no other would, and virtually heat up social media and boost the sport like no other nation can -- they are among the top (if not the top) social media users in the world.

And who could forget this Fox Sports Film about the FIlipinos' hope, determination and resilience and their uncommon Love for Basketball.

But no, we just hope that this isn't anything like what has happened at FIFA.

This Isn't Over

Philippine basketball fans have a never-say-die attitude. They would root for their team no matter what. And they would still be fans through thick and thin.

But one thing I do know, these fans would just want to know who were the countries who voted for the Philippines' bid, so that 100 million basketball crazy Filipinos would be able to salute them and say thanks.

But then again, most would probably be more interested in knowing who were those who didn't vote for them.

Let the games begin.

Trivia: Who is the Most Well Known Filipino?

Filipino

The Filipinos are the ethnic group native to the 7,100 islands of the Philippines. They now number over 100 million and are the 12th most populous in the world. About 12 million of them are overseas at any given time and about the same number cram into the mega capital city -- Manila.

If you need to know who among these mostly nameless and faceless people is the most well known, then arguably it has to be Manny Pacquiao.

And not only is he probably the most well known, he could also probably be the most well-loved Filipino today, if not of all time.

No doubt, and even if we believe it or not, his legions of fans can attest to that. Unconvinced? Let's check out some of the arguments.

World Class

First, no other Filipino in history could boast of having millions of fans worldwide and to count among them even more famous personalities than himself.

Among his supporters are of course, Mark Wahlberg, Liam Neeson, Paris Hilton, Hugh Jackman, Sylvester Stallone, Keanu Reeves and dozens and dozens of other Hollywood celebrities. He has prominent professional athlete admiters, among them, Kobe Bryant, Ronda Rousey, Jeremy Lin, Tim Tebow and several past and present boxing and basketball greats. You can also count among his admirers, one-percenters, politicians, singers, dancers, TV personalities, martial artists and a few famous brothers and sisters of his faith.

Future Boxing Hall of Fame

Now if you still haven’t heard of him, then you probably would have been living under a rock. or you just do not know a lot of famous people.

And you probably haven’t heard of Floyd Mayweather either. Let me guess, you probably aren’t a fan of boxing or a fan of the many boxing greats he has taught a lesson with his trademark "Pacquiao style" of boxing. If that is the case, then you could be forgiven.

But really it’s hard not to have heard of Pacman as Manny is affectionately called, as he is a commercial endorser who has numerous TV commercials, he has a movie about his life story, he has been a flag bearer in the Olympics, he was a judge in a Miss Universe pageant, he has appeared in several Jimmy Kimmel TV shows, he has been interviewed in 60 Minutes and has appeared in the cover of Time Magazine and of course of numerous sports magazines.

Segue: The companies of the brand names stitched on the boxing shorts he will wear for his fight with Floyd Mayweather paid him a total of $2.5 million dollars. He was reported to have said, if he could wear long pants, he would.

Larger Than Life

Manny Pacquiao & Freddie Roach
Frederick Nacino, Wikimedia Commons

Anyway Pacman is first and foremost a boxer, he is much more than that. Many people today has compared him to the fictitious Rocky and to the legendary Muhammad Ali but he has transcended them both in reel and real life.

His is a real rags-to-riches story as well as a genuine inspiration to dreamers everywhere and to anybody wanting to achieve the impossible or just to better themselves and help those around them.

Fight of the Century

His career as a boxer is near the end but of course millions of boxing fans worldwide are hoping this is not the case.

Undoubtedly whatever happens on May 2, 2015 could greatly determine what happens next for Manny. On this day, he and the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. wil finally meet in the square ring -- some say for the fight of the century. But whatever the outcome, boxing fans everywhere would love at least one rematch.

Man Who Wears Many Hats

What Manny has accomplished as a boxer is probably enough for five lifetimes but a match with Money (as Floyd is known) would be the cherry on top.

As I’ve said Manny’s life as a boxer is ending as he has undoubtedly moved on to much “bigger” things all at the same time.

He is a professional basketball coach, player and team owner, he is a preacher, a businessman, an honorary member of the Boston Celtics -- yes he just loves basketball as much as he loves boxing. It was rumored that he was late to one of his boxing matches because he had to finish watching a game being played by his beloved Celtics. (Preparing for the Algieri fight, he was even playing professional basketball.)

He is also a commercial model, a recording artist, a TV and movie actor, a philanthropist, a politician and a family man.

Manny Pacquiao Movie

These "segues" have taken the edge out of being the fighter that he once was.  

Setbacks

The result, he lost for the first time in more than seven years (or after 15 straight) in March of 2012, which was followed by another loss by knockout no less in December of the same year.

A devastating lost, he probably needed to put his head and his heart back into fighting.

Boxing Career

To date, he is the first and the only boxer to have won eight different weight division titles. He has won a total of ten world boxing titles and he was a lineal champion in four different weight classes.

According to Forbes, in 2014, he was the 11th highest paid athlete in the world. In, 2013 he was the 14th. He was second in 2012 and 2011. He was eighth in 2010 and sixth in 2009.

He was ranked in Forbes Magazine’s Annual World's 100 Most Powerful Celebrities, three different years.

He is the highest placed Asian in the World's Richest Athletes All-Time List.

Power, Prestige, Pesos

Still unconvinced?

He is so powerful that whenever he fights anywhere in the world, the entire archipelago of the Philippines seems to stand still and the crime rate is practically zero.

Not sure if any Filipino or anybody else in the world for that matter could do something similar.

Thrilla In Manila Video

Related Reading:

Filipinos’ Love For Boxing

Filipinos' Love For Basketball