Chot sets aside Blatche Asiad eligibility as World Cup begins

SEVILLE – With Andray Blatche’s Asian Games eligibility up in the air, Gilas coach Chot Reyes wouldn’t worry much about that yet as he’d rather focus on the task at hand in the FIBA World Cup.

In a talk with a small group of Filipino sportswriters hours before their first game here, Reyes said: “Right now, I’m only thinking of the game in front of me, and that’s Croatia.”

But Reyes did entertain some questions on the Blatche issue.

He’s heard speculation on Blatche’s status but still went for it, saying they opted to gamble big on the NBA veteran player or don’t have a chance at winning the Asian Games gold medal at all.

He’s hoping Filipino sports officials will be able to get the nod of the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee (IAGOC) during the delegation registration meeting on Sept. 11.

The Gilas bench chieftain said that meeting would decide the fate of the team in Incheon, realistic they don’t have a chance to contend for the gold medal without Blatche.

With Marcus Douthit and his PBA stars, Reyes managed to bring Gilas Pilipinas to the finals and subsequently win the silver medal in the last FIBA Asia Championship in Manila.

With the team’s experience and the supposed addition of a new, younger naturalized player, SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan had hoped for the team to go all the way to win the gold in Incheon.

But then IAGOC’s questions on Blatche’s status have come along.

Apparently, the IAGOC has informed the Philippine Olympic Committee that Blatche won’t be allowed to play for having not served the three-year residency rule which the SBP contended is not applicable to the naturalized player.

SBP has prepared a position paper which the POC will represent to the Games’ body in the screening proceedings.

Philippine Sports Commission chairman Richie Garcia, in his capacity as the country’s chef de mission in the Incheon Games set to start Sept. 19, vowed to fight for Blatche’s case.

If the appeal is disapproved, Gilas Pilipinas would be playing with a crippled lineup since submission of final lineups had lapsed last Aug. 15. Changes will only be allowed in cases of injuries and medical matters.

Before naming his Final 12 for the FIBA World Cup, Reyes submitted his roster for the Asiad composed of Blatche, Norwood, Dillinger, Jayson Castro, Paul Lee, LA Tenorio, Jeff Chan, Gary David, Ranidel de Ocampo, Marc Pingris, Japeth Aguilar and Junmar Fajardo.