GILAS PILIPINAS OFF TO WUHAN THURSDAY FOR FIBA ASIA CUP
Newly crowned PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo and eight other PBA stars lead the Gilas Pilipinas group leaving for Wuhan, China early Thursday morning to compete in the fifth FIBA Asia Cup set July 11-19.
Jay Washington, Paul Lee and Beau Belga make their first tour of duty with the national team, teaming up with Fajardo, naturalized player Marcus Douthit, Japeth Aguilar, Ranidel de Ocampo, Gary David, Jared Dillinger, LA Tenorio and cadet players Kevin Alas and Garvo Lanete.
Gilas Pilipinas competes with host China, Iran, Jordan, Chinese Taipei, Japan, Singapore, India and Indonesia in this tourney that the Nationals are using as a warm-up competition in a journey they hope to end with an Asian Games gold-medal conquest in Korea in September.
The Philippines opens its campaign in the FIBA Asia Cup versus Chinese Taipei at 2:45 p.m. Saturday, then goes up against Singapore at 2:45 p.m. Monday and finally coach Rajko Toroman and his Jordan team at 5:15 p.m. Tuesday.
A Top Two finish in this group gives the Nationals a shot at the medal plays.
“Very honestly, we don’t have too much expectation because malakas ang competition, we had limited practices and we’re not playing with a full lineup (of Gilas elite players),” said Gilas coach Chot Reyes.
“I like our lineup but we don’t have the chance to be at our best because of the practices that we had,” Reyes added.
Reyes opted to rest players like Jayson Castro, Jimmy Alapag, Gabe Norwood, Jeff Chan and Marc Pingirs, and instead take a look at Washington, Lee and Belga.
“We have young guys (Lanete and Alas), and I’m intrigued and want to see Jay Washington, Paul Lee and Beau Belga in actual (international) competition,” Reyes pointed out.
“Like I’ve said international competition is not just basketball. We want to see the pace. It’s a completely different rhythm from what we have in the PBA. Kasi sa PBA, one hard game then you have one or two rest days. In international, it’s like do or die every night. You have to be used to that rhythm. At gusto kong makita how these guys respond to it,” Reyes explained.
Reyes stressed they won’t mind losing in Wuhan as their goals are a decent showing in the World meet in Spain and the gold medal in the Asian Games.
“We just want to be able to get back to what I call the grind of international game. That is needed for the mental and emotional standpoint of the players,” said Reyes.
They then travel to America and Europe for a series of training and tune-up matches joined in by new naturalized player Andray Blatche.
They shoot for a win or two in the Worlds then aim for the gold in the Asiad.
“When was the last time we won the gold in the Asian Games? 1964? That’s our goal,” said Reyes. (SB)
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