PBA adjusts sked for FIBA

MANILA, Philippines — The PBA will adjust the 47th season schedule to allow room for Gilas to play out commitments with FIBA all the way until the FIBA World Cup on Aug. 25 to Sept. 10 next year. Gilas is slated to compete at the Hanoi SEA Games on May 12 to 23, third FIBA World Cup Asia qualifiers on June 30 to July 2, FIBA Asia Cup in Jakarta on July 12 to 24, fourth qualifiers on Aug. 25 to 29, the Asian Games on Sept. 10 to 25, fifth qualifiers on Nov. 10 to 14 and sixth qualifiers on Feb. 23 to 27 next year.

Gilas is reportedly set to open training camp for the SEA Games on April 18 after the Holy Week. By then, four games will have been played in the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals. Coach Chot Reyes’ 16-man pool for Hanoi lists 11 PBA players and five others. The PBA players are June Mar Fajardo, Japeth Aguilar, Poy Erram, Mo Tautuaa, Troy Rosario, Isaac Go, RR Pogoy, Kib Montalbo, Matthew Wright, Robert Bolick and Kevin Alas while the others are Thirdy Ravena, Dwight Ramos, Will Navarro, Caelum Harris and LeBron Lopez.

After the Governors’ Cup ends, the PBA will go on break to make way for the SEA Games. The PBA draft will be held on May 15 and the first conference of the next season will begin June 5. In the third qualifying window, the Philippines will host

India on June 30 and New Zealand on July 2. The PBA is expected to adjust its schedule so that players tapped for the window are not severely conflicted with their pro games. The first conference will end before the Asian Games start. Then the second conference will commence in October, welcoming the EASL club Bay Area Dragons. The third conference will kick off in February next year.

It will be a balancing act for the PBA as the pro league will play two teams in the inaugural EASL season starting Oct. 12. The PBA has pledged full support for Gilas with commissioner Willie Marcial and Reyes closely coordinating in planning out the Gilas PBA players schedule.

In preparing for the World Cup, the SBP will stage the draw on March 6 to coincide with the ball launch and a concert featuring a globally popular recording artist. A trophy tour is planned during the period between the draw and the opening ceremony. A one-year countdown clock will be launched in August to generate momentum for the World Cup.