Uichico back in Gilas saddle

MANILA, Philippines — Jong Uichico will make his fourth tour of duty as national team coach for a Gilas Pilipinas cadet squad plunging into action in the November window of the 2021 FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers in Manama, Bahrain.

Uichico, 58, had handled the job three times in the past, the last in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia where the Philippines captured the gold.

“It’s a welcome challenge for me and trying to do the best we can to prepare them,” said Uichico, whose official appointment was announced by SBP president Al Panlilio in an online presser yesterday.

Tab Baldwin is national program director while Boyet Fernandez, Alton Lister, Sandro Soriano and Andrei Tolentino backstop Uichico.

The team, consisting of Isaac Go, Matt Nieto, Mark Nieto, Allyn Bulanadi, Kobe Paras, Juan Gomez de Liaño, Justine Baltazar, Dave Ildefonso, Will Navarro, Kenmark Carino, Calvin Oftana, Dwight Ramos and Jaydee Tungcab, has held practices at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna after getting the green light from the Inter-Agency Task Force last week.

Ivorian Angelo Kouame was also listed in the team but would not be able to play just yet since his naturalization papers are still being processed.

Gilas, currently possessing a 1-0 (win-loss) record in Group A, is playing Thailand twice on Nov. 27 and 30, Korea on Nov. 28 and Indonesia on Nov. 29.

SBP chairman emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan said the country sending a team in Manama is a triumph in itself for the whole country amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re not going to be imprisoned by this virus. We’re going to stand up to it. It’s a great tribute to the players both to the PBA level and this new Gilas team who responded despite the situation,” said Pangilinan.

Baldwin said the lack of time to prepare would be a challenge that the team would need to hurdle.