“I want to win every game!” declared renowned basketball tactician Josep “Pep” Claros last night as he signed a one-year deal to take over as the head coach of Bahrain’s senior men’s national team.
Claros confirmed his appointment at a signing ceremony held at Hotel Golden Tulip Bahrain in Manama. The event was attended by Bahrain Basketball Association (BBA) vice-president Nasser Al Qaseer, along with other high-ranking BBA officials and members of the kingdom’s basketball community.
The 50-year-old Spaniard fills in the seat vacated by former national team head coach Salman Ramadhan, whose contract with the team expired earlier this year.
“I am very proud to be here,” Claros said yesterday. “I will give all my responsibility to help the Bahrain team continue to develop. I will try to give my maximum in order to achieve all the goals that we have.”
Claros brings with him a fiery intensity that he hopes will rub off on his players.
“I want to win everything,” he stressed. “I don’t play tennis, but if I had to play tomorrow against Rafael Nadal, then tonight I would not sleep thinking how I can beat him – this is the coach’s responsibility. I don’t know how to do it, maybe I have to throw a racquet on his head, I don’t know; but I have to try something.”
Claros will also be looking to instill in his players an attitude of hard work and dedication, which he says will be needed in order to reach levels they have yet to achieve.
“In basketball, there will always be opponents who may be better than you, but in the end, it is still five on five and there are still only two baskets,” he explained. “One thing for sure is we will have fight. When we play against other teams, we will work hard; this is what I can promise and this is what I want. From there, I think that we are talented enough, and we can surprise the best squads.”
Claros is returning to coach in Bahrain for a third time after previously guiding clubs Muharraq and Manama in the past. He describes Bahrain as being “a basketball country” and believes that the national team can be amongst the best in both the GCC and Asia.
“Bahrain is a basketball country,” he said. “People around the world might not know Bahrain, but if you see the game here, you will know.
“There are good players, good coaches, fans who know the game, and the media who follow the game like few places in the world – this is something special that made me think one day, sooner or later, Bahrain should be on the top of Asia.
“Obviously, when you talk about Asia, you think of China, Lebanon, Japan, Korea, Philippines, and others; they have strong leagues and a lot of talent too. But I think we are not far from that, in terms of all these things. Obviously we need to work hard to be on the same level on the court.”
Claros says that all local players who are deserving will have a chance to make it to the national team, whether they are young or are veterans.
“At this moment, there are 50 players who have one leg in and one leg out in the national team; and if we want to make a selection of 12, we have to think a little bit more,” he explained. “I think we have to mix a little bit, anaylse things well and continue developing. There will probably be different coaches in the future, but need to keep getting better all the time and work going towards that direction.”