05/07/2018
Oceania
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Philippines' Aquino assists Palau basketball team prepare for the Micronesian Games
PALAU - The Palau Basketball Federation is sparing no effort in their preparation for the Micronesan Games 2018 and showed their commitment by welcoming Philippines Women's basketball coach Patrick Aquino for a series of workshops.
Aquino, a decorated coach in the Philippines, visited the island nation on June 26-29 to help their national teams prepare for the quadrennial multi-sport event that will be held in Yap, Micronesia.
"Mr. David Crocker and Annie LaFleur of FIBA Oceania reached out to SBP (Samahang Basketball ng Pilipinas) and Butch Antonio to see if anyone is available to help support the Palau national team. When they asked me if I was available, I immediately said yes and was excited to help out," said Aquino who is also the head coach for National University's Women's basketball team.
"It was my first time to go to Palau and I was a little bit nervous before the trip but when we stepped on the basketball court everything became natural for everyone," he added.
FIBA Oceania Executive Director, David Crocker supported the project wholeheartedly and hoped that this would be the dawn of a new era for Palau basketball.
"We want to assist Palau's basketball program in any way we can because we believe in the potential of their team, players and their national federation to bring basketball to a bigger audience," said Crocker.
"Basketball is a great vehicle and sport to develop, because it brings communities together, promotes a healthy lifestyle and also encourages the leaders to serve their constituents better," he added.
Palau Basketball Federation Assistant Director and recently appointed Women's head coach Jubilee Kuartei is delighted to have the Filipino coach's presence in their final stretch of preparation for the Micro Games starting on July 15.
"Any help we can get is appreciated especially with the things we want to work on. We are going to build the program from the groundup and hopefully in the near future we can show the world, what Palau basketball is all about," she shared.
Aquino, who is also an assistant coach for the 3x3 Philippines Women's national team, admitted that Palau has a lot of catching up to do in terms of basketball knowledge and overall experience but commended their desire to learn the game.
"I expected to teach offensive schemes and defensive strategies with the team but after a quick observation, we decided to focus on the basics and fundamentals to build a good foundation for the team," said Aquino.
"What surprised me is their attitude and willingness to get better as a team. Coach Jubilee shared that some players have day time jobs and only go to practice after work, yet they give their all in every practice," added Aquino.
With just over 21,000 residents, the competition in the Micro Games will be a good stepping stone for the country residing in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.
Aquino has stated that he wants to continue communicating with Palau and he is available to the team any time they need his assistance.
"I told coach Jubilee if she has any questions they can call me anytime. I love teaching and I hope we can continue on working together. They were also generous enough to tell me that I am welcome anytime to visit and they already treat me as part of their family," shared Aquino.
"Palau is a wonderful country and I appreciate their hospitality. Basketball-wise, with the positive attitude they have shown towards the game, there is no way to go for them but up," he added.
