When the Philippine national men’s basketball team won over South Korea in the FIBA Asia Championship semifinals on Saturday night, Gilas Pilipinas assistant coach Nash Racela gained a measure of revenge for his brother Olsen.
The elder Racela had the most heartbreaking moment of his basketball career against South Korea in the 2002 Asian Games, when he missed two free throws in a semifinal battle that could have iced the game for the Philippines. Instead, South Korea stole the game on a buzzer-beating three-pointer by Lee Sang-Min.
“Salamat sa resbak cots. I lab u,” wrote Olsen in a text message to Nash shortly after the Philippines’ 86-79 victory, in a post reported by veteran journalist Rick Olivares on his blog.
“Para sayo yun!!!” Nash answered back.
The 2002 defeat was not the only heartbreak the Racela brothers experienced at the hands of South Korea. As members of the coaching staff of the Energen Pilipinas youth team, the two men lost to South Korea in tournaments in 2011 and 2012 as well.
After Saturday’s match, Gilas coach Chot Reyes dedicated the result to Olsen and other personalities involved in Philippine basketball who suffered a loss to South Korea in the past, like current Gilas assistant coach Jong Uichico, who handled the 2002 national team, and former Gilas coach Rajko Toroman, whose team dropped a heartbreaker in the bronze medal game in 2011.
“That was for Jong, for Olsen, for Rajko, for all those who had tough times against Korea,” said Reyes.
Source: http://www.interaksyon.com/interaktv/salamat-sa-resbak-olsen-racela-tells-brother-nash-after-gilas-pilipinas-win-over-south-korea
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