Gilas sees rough Asiad off, on court

MANILA, Philippines - With hardly a rest from the FIBA World Cup, Gilas Pilipinas goes into another battle, trying to keep its spot among the Asian elite teams in the 2014 Asian Games in Incheon, Korea set Sept. 19 to Oct. 14.a

After Gilas’ second-place finish in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship in Manila, Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas president Manny V. Pangilinan wants the team to go all the way to win the Asiad gold medal though knowing the climb to the top is not easy.

In fact, the team is already facing a battle even before the start of the competition in Incheon.

The hosts, seemingly in its eagerness to get back at Gilas Pilipinas and reclaim the Asiad gold they won in Busan in 2002, are scrutinizing the papers of naturalized player Andray Blatche and Fil-Ams Gabe Norwood and Jared Dillinger.

Apparently, they’re trying to block the entry of Blatche in Gilas roster although SBP is hopeful it will be able to prove the NBA player is eligible to play for the team.

The SBP has prepared a position paper to be presented by Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia, in his capacity as chef de mission, during the delegation registration meeting in Incheon on Sept. 11.

Minus this problem, the road to ultimate glory is already littered with dangers for Gilas Pilipinas with the kind of competition that awaits the team in the northwestern South Korean City, 27 kilometers from Seoul.   

There’s the host that is determined to win at home front, Iran that’s aching to finally win the championship that has eluded the team all these years and China that’s always the ultimate test for everyone in the region.

Then there are Japan, Qatar, Jordan and Chinese Taipei which have also been seeded to the main draw with China, South Korea, Iran and the Philippines – being the Top Eight in the last Asian Games in Guangzhou, China in 2010.

Going through the qualifying round are Mongolia, Saudi Arabia, Kazakhstan, Hong Kong, Kuwait, Palestine, India and Maldives. Four of them advance to the main draw.

Twelve teams, divided into four groups of three, play in the preliminary round.

Gilas Pilipinas has been drawn to a tough group with Iran and Group B top team which is likely to be Kazakhstan.

China and Chinese Taipei are in Group C, South Korea and Jordan in Group D and Japan and Qatar in Group F. Each group awaits team from the qualifying round.

The top two teams per group in the prelims advance to the quarterfinals composed of two groups of four teams each.

Each team will play the teams within their group they haven’t played yet. The top two teams per group will advance to the medal round.

Gilas Pilipinas opens its campaign versus the Group B top qualifier at 2 p.m. on Sept 23 at the Hwaseong Sports Complex.

Next up for the team is Iran at the same venue two days later.

Group E is considered the “Group of Death” in the competition considering Iran and the Philippines are the gold-medal protagonists in the last FIBA Asia Championship and Kazakhstan is the highest ranked team playing in the qualifying round.

The Philippines has had a losing record with Iran and has had bitter setbacks to Kazakhstan, including the one suffered in the bronze-medal game in Busan in 2002.

Making up the Gilas lineup in the Incheon Asiad are Blatche, Junmar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Ranidel de Ocampo, Marc Pingris, Gabe Norwood, Gary David, Jeff Chan, Jared Dillinger, Paul Lee, Jayson Castro and LA Tenorio.

The original Gilas team, reinforced by PBA players Asi Taulava, Kelly Williams, Sol Mercado and Jimmy Alapag, placed sixth in the 2010 Guangzhou Games.

Rulers of the first four editions of the quadrennial meet, the Filipinos have gone without a medal since copping the bronze in 1998 in Bangkok with the Tim Cone-mentored team composed of Johnny Abarrientos, Marlou Aquino, Allan Caidic, Kenneth Duremdes, Dennis Espino, EJ Feihl, Jojo Lastimosa, Jun Limpot, Vergel Meneses, Alvin Patrimonio, Olsen Racela and Andy Seigle.

The last gold medal for the Philippines came in 1962 in Jakarta courtesy of the team of Boy Arazas, Kurt Bachmann, Ciso Bernardo, Gerry Cruz, Manny Jocson, Caloy Loyzaga, Boy Marquez, Roel Nadurata, Ed Pacheco, Cristobal Ramas, Alberto Reynoso and Ed Roque.