Dickel muna sa Gilas

MANILA, Philippines — Opisyal nang hinirang ng Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas si TNT Katropa active consultant Mark Dickel bilang interim coach ng Gilas Pilipinas sa first window ng 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers.

Hahawakan ni Dic-kel, ang two-time Olympian, ang Nationals sa kampanya sa qualifying tournament.

Unang makakatapat ng Gilas Pilipinas sa kanilang home game ang 2019 Southeast Asian Games silver medalist Thailand sa Pebrero 20 kasunod ang road game kontra sa Indonesia sa Pebrero 23 sa Britama Arena sa Jakarta.

“In his short stint in the Philippines, coach Mark has performed creditably well,” wika ni Manny V. Pangilinan, ang Chairman Emeritus ng SBP, kay Dickel.

Ihahayag ng SBP ang full-time head coach bago ang second window ng 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers sa Nobyembre.

Sinimulan ang kanyang PBA coaching job noong 2018 PBA Go-vernors’ Cup, natulu-ngan ni Dickel ang Tropang Texters na tapusin ang kanilang five-conference absence sa PBA Finals sa pagpasok sa championship series ng 2019 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.

Kasama sa 24-man pool ng Gilas Pilipinas sa first window sina RR Pogoy, Troy Rosario at Bobby Ray Parks, Jr. ng TNT Katropa.

“We want to hit the ground running for the upcoming 2021 FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers,” ani Pangilinan. “We all know what he did to help TNT in such a short span and we’re confident he can also move things quickly as we prepare for the first window this February.”

Nasa training pool din sina Kiefer Ravena at Poy Erram ng NLEX, Christian Standhardi-nger ng NorthPort, Japeth Aguilar ng Ginebra, CJ Perez ng Columbian, Mac Belo ng Blackwater at Matthew Wright ng Phoenix.

Kasama rin sina PBA draftees Isaac Go, Matt at Mike Nieto, Rey Suerte, Allyn Bulanadi, Justine Baltazar, Dave Ildefonso, Thirdy Ravena, Kobe Paras, Juan and Javi Gomez de Liaño, Jaydee Tungcab at Dwight Ramos.