Everyone knows that the successful Smart Gilas national program is the brain child of business tycoon and Samahang Basketbolista ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Manny V. Pangilinan. But who is the man who put the program altogether? Was it former SBP executive director Patrick Gregorio, current team manager Frankie Lim or present SBP executive director Sonny Barrios? Sorry guys, but it’s none of the above. It was former SBP executive director/ Smart Gilas team manager Noli Eala who made it all happened. It was the former PBA commissioner who hired current head coach Rajko Toroman, naturalized citizen Marcus Douthit and the collegiate pool that made up the national team program. Eala, who became friends with Toroman during the 2007 FIBA Asia championship in Tokushima, sought the services of the top-caliber Serbian mentor to handle the Smart Gilas national squad. Eala left the SBP with the Smart Gilas program in good hands to pursue a career in the corporate world. Eala says it feels great to see all his labor and sacrifices comes into fruition with regards to the Smart Gilas program, which aims to bring back the country among the elite teams in Asian hoops, according to his twitter account.
“I brought Rajko to the team. I brought all the players. I brought the coaches. No matter what people say I did my job.”
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