BEIJING, China - Given a chance to help the training and international exposure of the national basketball team, Powerade, a brand under the banner of Coca-Cola, is willing to do it all over again.

Coca-Cola’s Jose Bayani “JB” Baylon said the Powerade-Team Pilipinas’ failure to earn one of the three seats to the World Championship next year in Turkey does not signal the end of their participation.

The RP team placed eighth in the FIBA-Asia tournament in Tianjin where only the top three advanced to the World Championship.

“I was asked, ‘how does Powerade feel?’ Do we feel like it was worth it?’ I said there’s no question. There’s no doubt about it. Will we do it again? Yes, no question about it,” Baylon said.

According to Baylon the experience was all worth it and valuable lessons were learned, acknowledging that international competition is different from playing in the PBA where Coke is one of the 10 teams competing.

Baylon said that though it was disappointing they failed in their mission, the event made him realize that the Nationals have a strong chance to compete against the best in Asia.

“It’s a tough basketball world outside. But I learned personally that we can do it,” he said. “I was here a year ago and I was convinced that I was going to tell Coca-Cola, ‘let’s stop basketball, let’s sponsor gymnastics, diving, synchronized swimming where we Filipinos can win.’

“But after sponsoring Powerade-Team Pilipinas, we can regain our place, at least in Asia, in the sun.

“Given the limitations of the team, there were a couple of games that three-pointers, or if we converted our free throws, we could have won it. So I personally changed my opinion that it is still worth to spend for basketball,” Baylon said.