(Apologies anew from web manager for this late posting due to downed internet service at site)

Kuala Lumpur 2349hrs- PULVERIZED, CREAMED, POWDERED, SHREDDED, SMOKED, CUT TO PIECES. This writer is running out of adjectives to aptly describe the rout that the Indonesians experienced in the hands of our RP Youth boys! Our poor Southeast Asian neighbours never had a chance to even experience taking the lead throughout the game as our team Nokia Pilipinas continues its rampage of the SEABA.

This 80 point cushion added to the 31 and 16 point margins we enjoyed over our previous opponents Malaysia and Thailand (consecutively) virtually assures us of the championship tomorrow night (May 5, 6:00PM) via the quotient system employed by the tournament’s organizers. In essence, even if we lose to Singapore (currently 4^th overall) tonight by a point or two, our cumulative winning margins against the three other teams is a bullet proof shield that Malaysia just cannot break through.

8 of our 12 man team contributed in double figures with Jaypee de Guzman banging in a game high 14 points followed by Gabriel Banal and Kyle Pascual with 13. However, Pascual proved to be the OFW crowd’s darling when, in the middle of the second quarter as he jumped for a rebound, an Indonesian player accidentally stepped on his shoe forcing him to launch into the air minus one Air Jordan (see photo). But as he saw both teams running towards the Indonesian court, he decided to leave his shoe behind and scramble to his assigned defensive post even if his right Nike sock’s traction failed in comparison to his left shoe. Indonesia botched that offense and at that turnover the RP boys converted on a Pascual follow up sending the crowd into a riotous roar of appreciation. Indonesia never knew what hit them as our centers Norbert Torres and Ian Paul Sangalang found their range from (of all places) the three point line even as the sweet shooting Samuel Joseph Marata and Jed Bryan Manguera continuously punctured their defense from within. RR Garcia, Jolas Terso, Joel Tolentino and Mark Joel de Guzman displayed mature court generalship as they conducted the RP onslaught. Team Captain Frank Golla’s six points was icing on the cake.

Our team did not only show excellence in basketball this evening. As the team partook of their late dinner, team manager Jun Sy (celebrating his birthday today) was at the side of injured Indonesian player Rocky _____ number 8, who had dislocated his right shoulder late in the second quarter and did not inform any of his team officials of the immense pain he was going through. With Mr. Sy was Gimbo Corre Nokia Pilipinas’ physical therapist who attempted to help pop the ball-and-socket joint back in but could not because “after two hours, the shoulder muscles go through trauma and tense up” said “Doc Jim” as the team members fondly call him. “But it’s not a serious injury and a well-equipped hospital could easily fix him”. They stayed by the young Indon’s side until the Malaysian ambulance arrived much to the appreciation and gratitude of the conquered team’s officials.

The Nokia RP Youth boys are one game shy of a clean sweep of this tournament and as coach Franz Pumaren said; “we continue to ask for prayers of safety and strength from all our kababayans. These boys are making us all proud”.

Quarter Scores:

1^st Qtr: Phi 34 Ina 21, 2^nd Qtr: Phi 31 Ina 5, 3^rd Qtr: Phi 30 Ina 6, 4^th Qtr: Phi 28 Ina 11 Total Score Phi 123 Ina 43

Individual Scores:

J. Mendoza 14, Pascual 13, Banal 13, Torres 12, Garcia 11, Manguera 11, Marata 11, Terso 8, Tolentino 8, Golla 6, de Guzman 6