Let’s play ball, says top gun
The man who saved NSW’s peak basketball body from the brink of bankruptcy, now Basketball NSW chief executive, Filipino-born Daniel Martinez, is calling for the growing number of Filipino basketball clubs to form a single Filipino Australian Basketball Association.
“There are enough ‘studs’ among our Filipino basketball teams and clubs to put together a formidable and competitive association in this state,” Martinez said.
“I’d like to be able to put my ideas across to the present Filipino club administrators and see if we could develop players from youth to elite levels within the NSW system.’’
Mr Martinez is not just an investment banker-turned NSW’s top basketball official. In his 50s, the man still plays the game and coaches, can still execute his favourite fade-away jump shot, and has not lost any of his court savvy.
Mr Martinez is the son of pioneer Filipino settlers in Sydney, the late Dr Manuel and Salve Martinez-Gil. His father is credited with founding the Australian chapter of the Knights of Rizal in the early 1970s.
His mother was an active member of the early Filipino community in Sydney, establishing what was one of the first Filipino clubs in Australia called the Australian Philippine Association (APA), also in the early 1970s, and was a founding member of a Federation of Filipino Clubs based in Sydney.
A group of Filipino basketball club organisers may soon heed Mr Martinez’ call for a get together to brainstorm the idea of forming one formidable organisation under Basketball NSW.
Among those who may come to listen are Marco Selorio, Ray Policarpio, and Mon Carpo.
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