MANILA (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 Asian Qualifiers) - The Philippines seem to have won the hearts of basketball fans across their 7,107 islands again after a spirited showing in the Asian Qualifiers fourth window.

Team Pilipinas went 1-1 in the fourth window, falling short in Tehran to mighty Iran, 81-73, before returning home to spoil Qatar's upset hopes, 92-81. Their record now stands at 5 wins and 3 losses - good enough for third place in Group F behind Australia and Iran and a game ahead of resurgent Japan.

Much of the team's recent success can be chalked up to new head coach Yeng Guiao, who was initially an interim filler for the suspended Chot Reyes, but has since been named the national team's head coach moving forward for the rest of the Asian Qualifiers.

The 59-year-old coach is aware of how heavy the responsibility of coaching Team Pilipinas is, but he is willing to take on the challenge, especially with a team full of players who have sacrificed so much.

“We were simply chosen. We play, and we coach. Nothing was promised to us. We just want to serve.”- Yeng Guiao

"I wouldn't be in this position if I thought that I couldn't do the job, especially with this team because after a while, there's a bond that develops," he explained. "I see one player's face busted, one's nose is bleeding, someone losing his tooth in the game, someone is away from his pregnant wife, but they're all here and playing for the country. Whatever difficulties I face pales in comparison. What kind of coach would I be if I walk away from that? That's the bond we have in this team."

Known as one of the most opinionated and most fiery coaches in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), coach Yeng is handling the national team for just the second time, having helmed the squad nearly a decade ago in the FIBA Asia Cup 2009 in Tianjin, China, where they finished eighth overall. This time around, the seven-time PBA champion coach is aiming for nothing less than a berth in the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019, and he is unafraid of staking his own international coaching career for that mission.

"If we don't make it to the World Cup, I will walk away because it means I don't have the capability," he declared. "Why are we here anyway? We all want to make it to the World Cup. Making it there would really be a milestone. It's all about delivering the objective and the purpose of this program."

His mere presence in the program has already borne fruit, with the inclusion of standouts like Marcio Lassiter, Alex Cabagnot, Scottie Thompson and Ian Sangalang being attributed to how coach Yeng has become a strong unifying force in Philippine basketball. Even the most seasoned of all veterans, Asi Taulava, recently heaped praised on coach Yeng.

"It’s time to change the image of Philippine basketball, and under coach Yeng’s time, we want to be known as Team Pilipinas," the Filipino-Tongan said. "As far as everything else, we’re all love for coach Yeng. You can see we’re all present here, and I think last time I saw something like this was 2002. All the players they asked for, they’re here. Everybody that came into this group, it’s because coach Yeng asked. This is great for Philippines basketball: one man who can unite all the big bodies in the PBA, the board, SBP - and that’s coach Yeng."

Relative to the roller-coaster ride that the Philippines have endured to get to this point, coach Yeng's era as Team Pilipinas head coach seems off to a promising start, and he believes that as long as they stay together bound by a common goal, they should be successful in making it back to the FIBA Basketball World Cup. For him, there is no stronger motivation for doing so other than serving the Philippines.

"After all, we're not doing this for money, or incentives," he said. "We were simply chosen. We play, and we coach. Nothing was promised to us. We just want to serve."

FIBA