Alfrancis Chua pushed to head Gilas

Newly-elected PBA vice chairman Alfranchis Chua is pushed to take over the national basketball team executive duties as success has been inevitable to Gilas when he took over the chores.

Chua as an executive in-charge for the national basketball team took the gold medal at the Hangzhou Asian Games last year after the 61 year drought of the country in claiming the championship of the quadrennial meet.

Leading the call are PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, SBP president and Gilas head coach Tim Cone.

Vargas said he witnessed himself on how Chua provided hand-on leadership that eventually led to the victory of the team, “A strong Gilas team benefits PBA and a strong PBA benefits Gilas so it’s mutually beneficial,” said Vargas who’s also SBP vice president. He added , “About 70 percent of Gilas is from PBA. We’re recruiting better players and now, naniniwala na tayong lahat that we can compete against the best in the world. We proved that in the OQT in Latvia. We’ve observed that when Gilas players return to the PBA, they’re more confident, they’re better because of the experience. A clear example is Chris Newsome who led Meralco to the Philippine Cup championship after a stellar performance in Hangzhou. We’re changing the Gilas culture and we’re earning a different respect from our opponents.”

The PBA chairman also pointed out that Gilas is ranked No. 37 in the FIBA rankings but has recently defeated No. 6 Latvia, almost upsetting No. 12 Brazil and No. 23 Georgia. The national team also defeated No. 27 Iran in the Asian games classification round, upsetting the host team and No. 29 China in the semis, and beating No. 32 Jordan in a defensive-oriented finals to win the gold.

Panlilio on the other hand said Gilas missed Chua in Latvia and he would’ve surely made an impact if he was present in that OQT (Olympic Qualifier Tournament). “We need my tokayo with Gilas,” he said. “He knows basketball more than I do. I told Alfrancis that I’ll be there for him, I’ll be on the admin side and he can take charge of the team like he did in Hangzhou. He knows how to encourage and motivate the players like nobody else. Alfrancis treats everyone equally, walang lumalamang, there is parity and a real sense of brotherhood.”

Chua couldn’t join Gilas in Latvia because of his work commitments at San Miguel Corp. where his responsibilities are beyond sports as he also assists chairman Ramon S. Ang in special projects like the NAIA rehab, building a new airport in Bulacan and streamlining of tollway operations. But he said there will always be a big place in his heart for basketball.

“Gilas is valuable to our country,” said Chua. “The team is about national pride and brings happiness to our countrymen. In recruiting players, walang pilitan, sama-sama lahat at ramdam sa PBA ang impact ng performance sa international competitions.”

PBA winningest coach and now Gilas head coach Tim Cone said the team missed Chua’s boost in Latvia. He also asked Chua for a meeting to try to persuade him to go back to Gilas. When Cone was given a People of the Year award by PeopleAsia last March, he said “I think Alfrancis deserved it more.” When Gilas plays in the next FIBA Asia Cup qualifying window against New Zealand on Nov. 21 and Hong Kong on Nov. 24, both at home, Vargas, Panlilio and Cone hope Chua will be back at the helm.

San Miguel Corporation has gone all out in its support for Gilas Pilipinas’ FIBA World Cup campaign by allowing Ginebra head coach Tim Cone to be part of the national team’s coaching staff, and it has also allowed its sports director Alfrancis Chua to be an executive advisor to both the national team and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas.

Boss Al, as most of the SMC players call him, has 16 PBA titles as the SMC sports director. Seven titles were with Team NSD (never-say-die) Barangay Ginebra and the latest was the 2023-2024 Philippine Cup title won by the winningest PBA ball club San Miguel Beermen.

He was also named PBA Executive of the Year in 2018 and 2021.

Aside from being a successful executive, he was once a PBA All-Star Game head coach in 1999, and 2x PBA champion as assistant coach (2021 Governor’s Cup and 2008 Philippine Cup). He was also a 7x champion head coach in the amateur ranks when the now defunct PBL (Philippine Basketball League) was still active.

Chua’s list of accomplishments in the PBA and in international competitions as an executive validate the clamor for him to take charge of the basketball national team.