FIBA ASIA DRAW SET THURSDAY
As host country, the Philippines can circumvent falling early into another disastrous ‘Group of Death’ situation. But sooner or later, Gilas Pilipinas will have to deal with the big guns of the 27th FIBA Asia Championship set Aug. 1-11 primarily at the SM Mall of Asia Arena with the Ninoy Aquino Stadium as secondary venue.
The 16-team Draw for the groupings in the qualifying tournament to the 2014 FIBA World Cup is Thursday at the Centennial Hall of the Manila Hotel, and Gilas Pilipinas officials are bracing for their first tactical maneuver.
FIBA Asia secretary-general Hagop Khajirian of Lebanon, along with Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan, will preside over the proceedings which start at 1:30 pm. Also to be present are SBP chairman Oscar Moreno, vice chairman Ricky Vargas, and executive director Sonny Barrios.
To be distributed equally into four groups are representatives from the region’s six zones: defending champion China, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong and Chinese Taipei from East Asia; Kazakhstan from Central Asia; Qatar, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia from the Gulf; the Philippines and two other countries from Southeast Asia; Iran, Lebanon and Jordan from West Asia; and a nation from South Asia.
Hagop will pick from a box containing four small balls representing the four groups, and from another with 15 balls representing the countries outside of the host.
National coach Chot Reyes will be calling from Lithuania where Gilas Pilipinas is currently training to relay his choice. But in the event of faulty communication, coaches Ryan Gregorio, Norman Black and Nash Racela have been tasked to pick the group for the RP team
The Philippines is expected to make full use of a luxury accorded host nations, with the first 12 slots filled before Gilas Pilipinas chooses its group with the 13th pick.
Unlike in Tokushima in 2007 where the Philippines was thrown into a lion’s den with Jordan, China and Iran in what RP coach Chot Reyes had labeled as a Group of Death, Gilas Pilipinas, which Reyes is also handling, can now join a relatively less competitive bracket while looking to avert an early collision with China in the quarterfinals.
Left without the comfort for even the smallest margin of error six years ago, the Philippines failed to make it past the first round after losing to both Iran and Jordan in the preliminary, settling for 9th place by beating Adiljan-coached China, 78-76, in the consolation round.
In 2009 in Tianjin under coach Yeng Guiao, the Philippines joined South Korea, Japan and Sri Lanka in Group A and advanced to the next round before falling to Jordan in the quarterfinals, 81-70.
The Nationals lost to Qatar in the battle for 5th place, 83-65, and bowed to South Korea, 82-80, in the match for 7th place.
Two years later in Wuhan, Serbian coach Rajko Toroman took full advantage of the Philippines’ luck in the draw in the eliminations by beating the United Arab Emirates and Bahrain in Group D and joining China in the next round.
Finishing behind China but ahead of Japan, Jordan, Syria and UAE in the revised second round format, the Nationals moved to the quarterfinals where they mowed down Chinese-Taipei, 95-78.
But they ran into suddenly hot Jordan, vastly improved from the one they beat, 72-64, earlier, and got whacked, 75-61, in the semifinals, closing the door on their bid for a berth to the 2012 London Olympics.
The Philippines then lost to old nemesis South Korea, 70-68, and settled for 4th place, the country’s highest finish since 1987 when Japan took 3rd place over the RP team, 89-75, in the former Asian Basketball Confederation (ABC) Championship in Bangkok.
The top three teams in the tournament will earn passage to the world championship in Spain next year.
A highlight of the event is a special tribute to members of the 1973 ABC champion Philippine team led by team manager Dante Silverio, assistant coach Caloy Loyzaga, team captain Jimmy Mariano, Ramon Fernandez, and Robert Jaworski.
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