Bubble training for Gilas?

MANILA, Philippines — SBP president Al Panlilio said yesterday even as there is no certainty on whether or not the FIBA Asia Cup qualifying windows will be held next month, Gilas is now mapping out plans to restart training in a bubble, possibly at the Inspire Sports Academy on the NU campus in Calamba, Laguna.

“We’ll prepare as best we can,” said Panlilio. “The situation is fluid and iffy. Nobody’s sure at the moment if the November windows will happen. I met with coach Tab (Baldwin) last week and I’ve asked him to take over the Gilas training. Right now, our Gilas pool consists of the first five players picked in the PBA draft last year plus Thirdy (Ravena). It’s not sure if Thirdy can join our training since he’s waiting to leave for Japan where he’ll be playing. We’ll put together a pool of collegiate players but we’ll need to get clearance from their schools. We’re looking at the De Liaño brothers, Ricci (Rivero), Kobe (Paras) among others. Kobe’s father Benjie just called me to assure Kobe’s excited to join the pool.” The first five PBA draftees are Isaac Go, Rey Suerte, Matt and Mike Nieto and Allyn Bulanadi.

Panlilio said FIBA executive director for Asia Hagop Khajirian of Lebanon will closely monitor the progress of the PBA restart as the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers will also be played in a bubble. PBA doubleheaders on Wednesday, Friday and Sunday are livestreamed on the FIBA Asia Champions Cup Facebook page for eight straight weeks starting yesterday. The access is geo-blocked in China and the US. Panlilio said the FIBA Central Board will be convened for a meeting on Nov. 6 and discuss the Continental Cup qualifying schedules. The Philippines’ next game is set in South Korea on Nov. 27 then in Thailand on Nov. 30. It’s possible the November window will be pushed to February next year and the February window to July. The 16-team FIBA Asia Cup is slated on Aug. 17-29.

“It doesn’t look like the home-and-away format will push through,” said Panlilio. “Maybe, we can host a bubble for the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers where we cluster four national teams. The PBA bubble is a model that can be replicated and that’s why FIBA Asia is looking at how it works.” FIBA recently announced plans of gathering four to eight teams in one or two classification groups in a bubble to play out the qualifying schedule of each Continental Cup, limiting the frequency of travel.

Panlilio said SBP’s initial idea was to hold the Gilas training in Clark because of the safety/health protocols approved by IATF. But with the PBA in the bubble, there’s no available space in Clark so an alternative is the Inspire Sports Academy where the TNT team recently held a two-week training session. “We’ll seek approval from IATF and course our request through (chief testing czar of the National Task Force Against COVID-19) Secretary (Vince) Dizon,” he said. “If the November window is pushed to February, we could start training next month to prepare, assuming clearance from IATF.”