Twenty eight years after his father, TNT coach Bong Ravena, enjoyed his Southeast Asian Games victory celebration at home, NLEX guard Kiefer Ravena got his chance to savor the same winning feeling on Philippine ground.
The young Ravena and the Gilas Pilipinas team swept their way to the cherished basketball gold medal with a 115-81 clobbering of Thailand Tuesday night at a packed MOA Arena, triggering a festivity similar to one that erupted after Bong's squad triumphed at the Big Dome back in 1991.
It's been a while since Filipino cagers whooped it up in front of countrymen as basketball wasn't calendared the last time the Philippines hosted the SEA Games in 2005 due to the local federation's Fiba suspension.
"This one's a little but more special. Unang-una, dito nangyari sa Manila. Everybody was able to come out and support Gilas," said Kiefer, who won his fifth SEAG gold before a 12,000-plus strong crowd that of course included Bong.
"Ganito rin kasaya nung 1991 sa Araneta," recalled Bong, who in his time joined forces with Jun Limpot, Vergel Meneses and Marlou Aquino in reclaiming basketball supremacy after the Philippines was shockingly dethroned by Malaysia two years in Kuala Lumpur.
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Kiefer originally wasn't part of coach Tim Cone's all-PBA squad but was tapped to replace the injured Jayson Castro.
"What also makes it more special is noong una, I wasn't even part of the pool na maglalaro dito sa Gilas. Noong binuo ang team during the PBA season, sinabi ko sa sarili ko, maging ready anytime ano man ang mangyari.
"Ayaw naman natin na may ma-injure but unfortunately si Kuya Jasyon suffered an injury that allowed me to fill in the void. I knew it was a big gap to fill in but with these guys, they made it a lot easier for me, we shared the load. And even though we were together for a month combined, it felt like we're playing together for quite a while. So it says a lot how coach Tim really treats his players, his system and I learned a lot from him," he said.
He was the youngest of the lot but the most experienced in so far as playing - and winning - in the biennial SEAG is concerned.
"All in all, this is probably the best for me. I won't say baka ito na ang last, hindi natin nalalaman, but if it's my last, what a way to cap it all off playing in front of the home crowd and getting my fifth gold," said Kiefer.
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"I've played against some of these guys since 2011, my first SEAG, some them actually already retired so it's been quite a while na naglalaro ako sa SEA Games...I guess this was the best. I haven't won a PBA championship yet, won a couple in the UAAP, but just representing your country, the flag with 110 million people really at your back and wanting to support you, wanting you to win, there's pressure but then again, this tops it all off," he said.
There's likewise a sense of redemption for Ravena in helping deliver the Mother of All SEA Games Gold to the Filipinos, especially coming off their lackluster showing in the FIBA Basketball World Cup.
"This is also dedicated to my World Cup team, yung mga hindi nakasali dito (SEAG), and coach Yeng Guiao especially. This is also for them, naibawi ko na sila kahit paano," he said. (OL) / Photo: Marlo Cueto (spin.ph)
