During the halftime break of the tightly contested matchup between Mapua University and Colegio de San Juan de Letran in the NCAA Season 99 Seniors Basketball Tournament, the NCAA formally awarded Gilas Pilipinas team manager and Letran alumnus Alfrancis Chua with a plaque of recognition, acknowledging his role in Gilas Pilipinas’ gold medal efforts in the 19th Asian Games.
“Grateful kasi the last time I played here, like 1984 ano… So ngayon nabigyan pa ako ng ganitong pagkakataon. Malaking bagay para sa akin at ngayon ang ncaa talagang nakasupporta sa basketball ng Pilipinas,” shared Chua after the ceremony.
Amidst the formalities, cries of “balik ka na” could be heard from the Letranites in attendance as Chua received his reward, urging the San Miguel sports director to support the Knights once again.
After winning three consecutive titles, Letran is experiencing one of the worst seasons in its storied history. Following another unfortunate 66-69 loss in a close game against the Cardinals, Letran’s season record dropped to 1-10, by far the worst in the league.
Chua was not dismissive of the calls for help from Letran’s supporters, but he was also clear that he could only provide his support if he were 100-percent available, which is not the case at the moment due to his many commitments.
“Nailagay ako sa spot ano? Sino bang hindi gustong sumuporta. Sa ngayon lang sobrang busy talaga, I don’t wanna handle a team kung wala akong oras. If i wanna handle a team kailangan may oras ako, eh nagkasunod-sunod na.” explained Chua.
“Mahirap naman umoo ako, tapos nakasuporta nga pero wala naman ako, panget naman iyon. We’ll see, titingnan natin kung paano yung tiyempo.”
The Knights still have at least seven more games on their schedule, with Emilio Aguinaldo College up next. Letran fans hope that the Knights can turn things around, whether or not they have Chua’s support.
