Gilas, Blatche to sign new pact

MANILA, Philippines – Andray Blatche has committed to reinforce Team Philippines again in the Olympic World Qualifier in July, guaranteeing the national squad a dependable big man when it goes up against five other tough teams vying for a berth in the Rio Games.

In the next few days, Gilas Pilipinas and Blatche’s representative Maria Espaldon will be working on the terms of the playing contract of the naturalized player for the final Olympic qualifier in July 4-10.

The two parties will just be working on the finer details with Blatche already having made his commitment to play with Team Phl in the final qualifying event for the coming Rio Olympics.

“After we decided that we will compete in the qualifier, we immediately inform him. He’s given his assurance he’ll be available and he’s okay,” Gilas team manager Butch Antonio told The STAR.

Eighteen countries will slug it out for the three remaining slots in the Rio Olympics with the field to be divided into three groups. The draw will be held later this month.

Coming in as Blatche’s representative in a meeting with the Gilas management is Espaldon of East-West Private Holdings.

Blatche, tied in a lucrative $7.5 million three-year deal with the Xinjiang team in the Chinese league, is to play his third tournament with Gilas after the 2014 FIBA World Cup and the 2015 FIBA Asia Championship.

He’s available for the Olympic qualifier in July as the 2015-16 Chinese Basketball Association season is over by then.

In March 2015, Blatche got the richest contract in the Chinese league after a dominant rookie season with the Flying Tigers where he submitted whopping norms of 31.1 points, 14.6 rebounds, 5.1 assists and 2.8 steals.

In the 2014 World Cup, he also had monstrous averages of 21.2 points and 13.8 rebounds for Gilas.

But he was visibly overweight and struggled in the Changsha Asian meet coming off a long layoff last year.

Meanwhile, Gilas Pilipinas will have to wait a little more to resume its “Monday program” with a number of pool members spearheading drives of their respective mother ball clubs in the PBA postseason play.

“We have to see how things spin out in the PBA playoffs. We have to give a little adjustment,” said Antonio.

“We’ve yet to talk about the resumption of practice. But during our Christmas dinner, coach Tab (Baldwin) told the players ‘be ready for January. We’ll let you know when,’” Antonio also said.

Junmar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Paul Lee, Jeff Chan, Gabe Norwood, Terrence Romeo and Calvin Abueva are national hopefuls still engaged in playoff play in the local pro league.

“Most probably, coach Tab will call practice when he’s got a good number already,” said Antonio. “Of course, he’ll let the players in the PBA playoffs to focus on the game.”

Baldwin has said they haven’t achieved much in their once-a-week training that started last November.

“The numbers aren’t good. The overall assessment of the Monday night program after six training sessions is not good,” said Baldwin after their last practice session on Dec. 15.

“The question is are we going forward, are we going backwards – it’s an important question. My assessment is maybe we’re inching forward,” he also said.

“I know that’s not what’s designed to be in the beginning but I think that’s what it’s turning out to be. So you know the best wishes and the best intentions of everybody in putting these Monday night sessions together were there, I don’t think anybody questions everybody’s intentions in making this happen, but in order to build a basketball team you really need to own their minds and their bodies and we don’t neither right now,” Baldwin added.