Gilas in bind for Asiad
Gilas head coach Chot Reyes is in a quandary as to how to build a competitive national basketball team for the Asian Games on Aug. 18-Sept. 2 in Indonesia and with the PBA in season, it doesn’t look like pros will be released to beef up the squad unless there is a compromise solution.
“Personally, I’m at a loss,” said Reyes. “The deadline to submit athletes by name to the Asian Games Organizing Committee has passed and we’ve been given an extension. But at this point, we’ve only got six players in the lineup. Andray (Blatche) is open to play. Of course, that comes at great cost. I’m just wondering where we can get more players if the PBA, MPBL, UAAP and NCAA won’t allow their players to join us.”
The six players in Reyes’ list are Kobe Paras, Ricci and Prince Rivero, Abu Tratter, Jay-Jay Alejandro and Vince Tolentino. If Ray-Ray Parks and Blatche are brought in, Reyes will need only four more players to complete a 12-man roster. According to POC communications director Ed Picson, the deadline for submission of entries by name to the Asian Games Organizing Committee fell last May 15 and the final day of the extension is June 10.
Reyes said he’s constrained to choose players from a registered training pool of over 40 players submitted to the Asian Games Organizing Committee. The pool is made up of Gilas seniors, former cadets who were in the PBA’s special draft two years ago and players in the 23-for-2023 cast.
“From my understanding, the Memorandum of Agreement that was signed by the SBP and PBA doesn’t hold anymore,” he said. “That MOA included the Asian Games as part of the PBA’s commitment to support the national team. We agreed to allow our cadets to join the PBA special draft two years ago and now, we can’t bring them back to Gilas. If only we could regain access to those players, I think we can put up a fighting team for the Asian Games.”
The 12 former Gilas cadets who were in the 2016 PBA special draft were Bryan Cruz, Kevin Ferrer, Mac Belo, Von Pessumal, Russel Escoto, Ed Daquioag, Ponzo Gotladera, Matthew Wright, Mike Tolomia, Arnold Van Opstal, Jio Jalalon and R. R. Pogoy.
At the previous Asian Games in Incheon, Gilas fell to the country’s worst finish of seventh place. The Philippines had a slim chance to make it to the semifinals but needed to beat Kazakhstan by 11 in the eliminations. Gilas defeated Kazakhstan, 67-65 and dropped out of contention. Earlier losses to Qatar, 77-68, and South Korea, 97-95, put Gilas in a bind. The team was composed of Jimmy Alapag, L. A. Tenorio, Jeff Chan, Jared Dillinger, Gary David, Ranidel de Ocampo, Gabe Norwood, Marcus Douthit, JuneMar Fajardo, Paul Lee, Japeth Aguilar and Marc Pingris.