SBP, PBA bigwigs meet to discuss Gilas in Asiad

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Al Panlilio met with PBA commissioner Willie Marcial and chairman Ricky Vargas, along with San Miguel Corp. sports director Alfrancis Chua to set the direction of the Philippine men’s team’s participation in the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.

In an update posted at the PBA’s official website, Panlilio led the high-level talks, in the meeting hosted by no less than San Miguel Corp. president and chief executive officer Ramon S. Ang in Makati.

Gilas Pilipinas, which over the weekend closed its 2023 FIBA World Cup campaign with a 96-75 lambasting of China, won’t have several members of the team as they report back to their respective Japan B.League teams.

Gilas Pilipinas PHOTO BY RIO DELUVIO 

Dwight Ramos, the national squad’s top local scorer with 13.8 points in the World Cup, along with tournament revelation AJ Edu and Kai Sotto, as well as Kiefer Ravena, are slated to fly back to Japan to rejoin their teams, which are all preparing for the new season.

Even high-flying guard Rhenz Abando is expected to rejoin Anyang KGC, which is set to defend its Korean Basketball League for the upcoming season.

Utah Jazz superstar Jordan Clarkson, likewise, won’t be available for the Asian Games this month as he begins training with his NBA team.

Results from the high-level meeting between officials of the SBP and PBA are expected to be revealed this Thursday, considering that Gilas has less than three weeks left to prepare for the quadrennial games,

Basketball fans are hopeful that the announcement would include the new Gilas coach who will succeed Chot Reyes. The 60-year-old Filipino mentor on Saturday, announced to media men that he is stepping down at the close of the national team’s World Cup stint, where Gilas finished with a 1-4 record.

In retrospect, the Philippines placed fifth in the 2018 Asian Games held in Jakarta, Indonesia, in the tournament that saw Rain or Shine’s core, represent the country while being reinforced by Clarkson.

Gilas dropped a narrow 82-80 decision to China in Clarkson’s debut for the national team during the group stage, before suffering a 91-82 decision at the hands of long-time rival Korea in the quarterfinals.

The loss relegated the Philippines to the classification round, where Gilas blasted Japan and Syria to settle for fifth place in the tournament.