Gilas Pilipinas has left for Doha, Qatar early Thursday morning as it ramps up its preparations for the FIBA Asia Cup.
The Tim Cone-led nationals had held a two-day training camp at Inspire Sports Academy in Laguna on Tuesday and Wednesday but without naturalized reinforcement Justin Brownlee. The 36-year-old was given a brief respite due to blisters and to rest up. Troy Rosario, a new addition to the team, missed the first day at Inspire to rest his injured knee.
Departing with Cone for the Qatari capital are mainstays of the now San Miguel Corporation-run Gilas—June Mar Fajardo, CJ Perez, Scottie Thompson, Calvin Oftana, Dwight Ramos, Kevin Quiambao, Mason Amos, Justine Brownlee. Joining them are Rosario and Jamie Malonzo and AJ Edu, who are both making their national team comebacks after separate injuries.
Chris Newsome and Carl Tamayo, both Gilas veterans, will link up with the team in Qatar, with the former flying in from Chinese Taipei and the latter coming from South Korea. Newsome played for his mother team, the Meralco Bolts, in the EASL in a do-or-die against the New Taipei Kings. Tamayo saw action for his KBL team, the Changwon LG Sakers.
No Rest for Gilas
Gilas is in the midst of a grueling two weeks as it looks to get ready for the FIBA Asia Cup on August to be held at Saudi Arabia. And it will only get more hectic.
“We are going to use this as a chance to prepare for the FIBA Asia Cup. It’s early, but it’s the only time we’re going to have,” said Cone of the stretch Gilas is in now.
From the looks of it, the nationals are looking to making the most out of it.
“Ang mangyayari, February 13, 14, 15, 16 [training camp] and then 17 uwi kami ng gabi,” Chua said of Gilas’ packed schedule. That schedule, as previously reported, will include friendlies against Qatar (February 15, morning), Lebanon (February 15, evening), and Egypt (February 17).
There will be no rest for the weary as Gilas will fly for Taiwan in the morning of February 18 for the team’s penultimate game in the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers. The nationals will take on Chinese Taipei on February 20 to open the third window of said qualifiers. The hectic schedule concludes with Gilas’ final FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers match: a rematch with the Tall Blacks in New Zealand on February 23.
