COMMITTEE TO FINETUNE GILAS PROGRAM
The minute news broke out that a Selection Committee has been formed to choose the national coach as well as members of the national pool, several quarters came up with their own conclusions regarding the fate of the Gilas program and its key personnel.
To clarify the matter, PBA commissioner Chito Salud said, “The SBP is not dissolving or discontinuing the Gilas Program. It is a successful program that has the PBA’s full support. The formation by the SBP of a Selection Committee to choose a Head Coach for the Gilas National Team, to create a pool of players from which the National Team can draw, and to synchronize the PBA calendar and the Gilas National Team training schedule is proof of a stronger collaborative effort on the part of the SBP and the PBA, its team owners and governors, as well as other stakeholders, to finetune the Gilas basketball program.
“The objective of the Selection Committee is clear: to consolidate the gains of the existing program and to chart a strategic course to improve current performance. This process will adopt a systematic, methodical and inclusive approach to ensure that Philippine basketball becomes more competitive internationally both in the short and long term.”
Unlike in the early years of open basketball when the PBA took the lead starting from the formation of the national team until the competition itself, the pro league will now work hand in hand with the SBP.
The Committee will make sure all voices are heard and everyone forms a united front in our quest to be back as Asian basketball kings and to continue earning the respect of the world in the sport of basketball.
“The PBA is keen to continue supporting the SBP and its worthy objective of consolidating and improving on the gains the Gilas program has achieved in recent years. The creation of a selection committee will help harness and broaden the support and resources available for SBP within the PBA community and beyond,” Salud said.
“We are excited about the creation of this selection committee. It gives key stakeholders a channel to participate in a dynamic manner in the achievement of our goals.” (JL)
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