GILAS COMMENCES TRAINING FOR FIBA WORLD CUP ASIAN QUALIFIERS
MANILA -- Ginebra San Miguel fans would surely be delighted as Gilas Pilipinas coach Vincent ‘Chot’ Reyes has assured on Monday that the national pool will “for sure” feature a number of Gin King's stalwarts and whose coach, Tim Cone, is listed as his assistant all the way to the World Cup next year.
MANILA — Ginebra San Miguel fans would surely be delighted as Gilas Pilipinas coach Vincent ‘Chot’ Reyes has assured on Monday that the national pool will “for sure” feature a number of Gin King’s stalwarts and whose coach, Tim Cone, is listed as his assistant all the way to the World Cup next year.
Last night, the national men’s basketball team started its first practice session for the August window of the Fédération Internationale de Basket-ball Amateur (FIBA) World Cup Asian qualifiers, minus National Basketball Association (NBA) star Jordan Clarkson and 2022 National Basketball League (NBL) Fans Most Valuable Player (MVP) Kai Sotto.
Both players are expected to arrive on August 18 and 19, respectively.
Reyes has since stressed that the national pool program is using the FIBA windows to determine the best possible lineup for the country in the global meet that would feature the best basketball teams on the planet.
The Gilas Pilipinas camp will train in a closed environment, as usual—as the squad crams for just over a week for two games that should dictate the course of the cage program’s plans geared toward the global showcase set here in Manila a year from now.
Training has been set at the Meralco Gym in Pasig City with very limited access.
According to SBP executive director Renauld ‘Sonny’ Barrios, Team Philippines is scheduled to play FIBA Asia Cup runner-up Lebanon in Beirut on August 25, and then host Saudi Arabia on August 29 at the SM Mall of Asia (MoA) Arena.
Barrios enthused that the national squad’s coaching staff intends to build around Clarkson from a pool that features cagers plying their trade overseas led by Australia pro league veteran Kai Sotto as well as Ray Parks Jr., Dwight Ramos, Kiefer, and Thirdy Ravena, who are all now based in Japan, and varsity stars Carl Tamayo and Kevin Quiambao.
Reigning Most Valuable Player and Ginebra ace Scottie Thompson and teammate Japeth Aguilar are also reportedly on the team and they will be joined by Calvin Oftana of NLEX and Jamie Malonzo of Northport.
