HAND IN HAND IN TRUE PARTNERSHIP
PBA commissioner Chito Salud and national coach Chot Reyes met Tuesday and discussed various matters concerning Gilas Pilipinas and how the league can best help the team and the successful hosting of the FIBA Asia men’s championship in August.
“Maganda ang kinalabasan ng meeting,” said Salud. “We’re working for one cause here. From the PBA standpoint, we are here to fully support the cause of Gilas Pilipinas and as a proof of that we will come out with a third conference schedule that will certainly strengthen the chances of our national team.”
In the original scheduled approved by the PBA Board of Governors, the season-ending Governors’ Cup will finish on July 28 at the latest, just four days clear of the August 1 start of the FIBA Asia tourney.
The Office of the Commissioner has come up with several options for the conference to end earlier and will now incorporate coach Chot’s inputs before coming up with the final format and schedule.
“Just a few more days because we’re trying to look for the best possible schedule – a schedule that will help strengthen the national team,” Salud said.
For his part, Reyes said, “We’re very thankful for the PBA’s all out support for this program and in trying to achieve our goal of qualifying for the world championships.
“On my end, we briefed them on our ideal training schedule. Having the best players is only 50 percent, the other 50 percent is having the time to prepare them and jell them into a great team.”
Once the third conference schedule is firmed up, Reyes will name the players that will make up Gilas Pilipinas.
“We’re not yet prepared to name the players because we don’t want to pre-empt. Gusto naming malaman exactly what is the time we have available and then we will make that decision later,” explained Reyes after the meeting that also included league officials Willie Marcial and Rickie Santos.
Since the PHL team will surely go into the FIBA Asia wars lacking in ceiling, Reyes said the team must have speed and outside shooting. He wants to form a versatile team with role players.
“Magubuo tayo ng team. Di tayo magbubuo ng collection of superstars,” Reyes quipped.
Both camps know what the stakes are, and are looking for a win-win scenario.
The PBA is bending over backwards for the national team,” Salud said. “Appropriately, we want to be able to help the SBP and the MVP group in successfully hosting the FIBA Asia championships. What are the elements of a successful hosting? That we’re logistically prepared – all our guests are happy. And then we qualify for the World Championships in Spain in 2014.”
“Ang maganda, it’s a true partnership between us and the PBA,” Reyes added. “Hindi lang naman ito team ng PBA. Hindi naman ito team ng MVP group or sinumang grupo. Team Pilipinas ito. Everyone is really pitching in, everyone is doing their share kaya we’re very optimistic.” (JL)
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