GILAS, HINDI PATUTUMBA SA FIBA ASIA CUP – SBP

KAILANGAN daw na paghandaan ng Gilas Pilipinas ang pakikihamok sa mga bansang kasama nito sa group phase ng 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers gayung may isang taon at kalahati pa silang dapat na mag-ensayong mabuti. Napabilang ang Pilipinas sa Group A ng qualifiers, kasama ang Korea, Thailand at Indonesia.

Ayon kay Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al Panlilio, ang mahigpit na karibal ng Gilas na Korea, ang makailang ulit nang dumurog sa puso ng mga Pinoy basketball fans ay dapat nilang unahin na pasukuin sa grupo.

Inaasahan ni Panlilio na maduduplika ng Pilipinas ang 2013 FIBA Asia Championship kung saan hindi pinaporma ng Gilas ang Korea sa MOA Arena at makausad sa 2014 FIBA World Cup. “It’s always a challenge taking on Korea and I know this as I was also part of the team that battled them in the Asian Games. We know what they bring to the table but we can’t focus too much on the history between the two teams. One thing I’m very excited about is playing against them on our homecourt because we all know how special the last one turned out to be,” wika ni Panlilio.

Isa pang bagay na pinaalala ng basketball official na kahit ilang ulit nang tinalo ng Pilipinas ang Thailand at Indonesia sa regional tournaments, hindi raw dapat maliitin ang mga ito. “Thailand and Indonesia are definitely improving in the past few years. The Thais have even hosted Fiba events in the past because they know it’s also important to learn as much as they can from the stronger teams in the region,” ani Panlilio, Naniniwala si Panlilio na kayang-kaya ng Pilipinas na magkaroon ng puwesto sa FIBA Asia Cup.