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By Michael Angelo S. Murillo, Senior reporter
A WIN by Gilas Pilipinas in the third window of the International Basketball Association (FIBA) Asia Cup Qualifiers (ACQ) this month secures him a place in the continental tournament, but Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) want him the team if possible, do a sweep of your assignments.
Currently leading Group A in the playoffs with a 3-0 record, the Philippines have placed themselves in a strong position to advance to the FIBA Cup Asia to be held in Indonesia later this year.
The Philippine men’s basketball team will try to secure the victory that propels it to the Asian Cup in its three scheduled matches – against Korea (2-0) and one against Indonesia (1-2) – in the window relocated to Doha. Qatar, this month.
Thailand (0-4) is the other team in Group A.
For SBP President Al Panlilio, Gilas Pilipinas has always sought to obtain the best possible result every time he competes, and the qualifiers underway are no different.
“Of course, we want to win all three games against Korea and one against Indonesia. We are still out there to win, ”said Mr. Panlilio during the Philippine Sports Writers Association Online Forum on Tuesday.
“It is a game (necessary to advance), but we will try to win every game. We want to make sure we are competitive in all of them, “he added.
Mr. Panlilio, also an executive of Smart Communications and PLDT, shared that Gilas’s preparations have gone well under the leadership of SBP Program Director Tab Baldwin and Head Coach Jong Uichico.
“They are planning their strategies and evaluating the competition. It is very important that we prepare our players very well, ”said the head of SBP, whose organization is also in the process of meeting all the team requirements to be able to fly to Doha and compete.
In the third window, Gilas will parade a team comprised of a mix of Philippine Basketball Association players and cadet members, who are currently meeting at the INSPIRE Sports Academy in Laguna in a training “bubble”.
Included in the group are PBA players Kiefer Ravena and Raul Soyud (NLEX), Troy Rosario and Roger Pogoy (TNT), Justin Chua (Phoenix Super LPG) and CJ Perez (San Miguel).
They are joined by PBA recruits Gilas Isaac Go, Rey Suerte and Matt and Mike Nieto, and cadets Juan and Javi Gómez de Liaño, Will Navarro, Calvin Oftana, Kemark Carino, Dave Ildefonso, Angelo Kouame (naturalized player candidate) , Justine Baltazar, and Dwight Ramos.
Also joining the group is National Basketball Association G League player Kai Sotto, who returned from the United States on Tuesday night. He will undergo the necessary quarantines and tests before joining the team in training.
Also in the training bubble are assistant coaches Norman Black, Caloy Garcia and Sandy Arespacochaga.
The Philippines was supposed to host Groups A and C in the third window of the FIBA ACQ, but the SBP had to disconnect it due to the country’s ongoing travel ban on foreigners entering from countries with known cases of the new variants of the coronavirus.
Group C has New Zealand, Australia, Guam and Hong Kong.
Doha agreed to host Group A matches, along with those of Group B and E.
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