Gilas Pilipinas could join 2014 PBA Governors' Cup
The PBA is considering the suggestion to add Gilas Pilipinas as its 11th team in the upcoming 2014 PBA Governors’ Cup. This was bared by no less than PBA Commissioner Chito Salud during the board meeting held in their office in Libis.
To help with the preparation for the FIBA World Cup, PBA Chairman Ramon Segismundo brought up the idea during the meeting.
“The idea of Gilas joining the third conference has already been brought up formally and informally before,” said Salud. “It was re-proposed today.”
Back in the 2009-2010 PBA Philippine Cup, Smart-Gilas Pilipinas also joined the PBA as a guest team in preparation for the FIBA Asia Championship. The group composed mostly of amateur standouts played all of the PBA teams in afternoon games but he results of those contests were not included in the official win-loss tallies.
“We will revisit the idea and consider it with the due importance it deserves,” Salud added. “The PBA Board will deal with it with openness and creativity.”
The decision on the inclusion of Gilas for the PBA’s third conference will be on March 27 when the Board of Governors will convene again for their scheduled meetings. However, Salud said that there’s a possibility it could be done earlier.
“March 27 is our next scheduled board meeting but I am not eliminating the idea that the Governors could schedule a special board meeting to tackle that issue,” the PBA Commissioner said.
Gilas Pilipinas head coach Chot Reyes was supportive of the idea when he was interviewed after their first practice.
“Anything that can give us time to practice and prepare, I’m all for it," he said. Asked whether the team owners will allow their stars to play for Gilas instead of their home teams, the coach refused to share his thoughts. “Ibang tanong yan,” Reyes replied. “That’s not for me to answer.”
Reyes rued the fact that they could only train daily starting on July 15, which is the start of the PBA Governors’ Cup Finals. If the Gilas players are released by their mother teams and if the PBA allows Gilas to be the 11th team in the field, it will give them more time to prepare for the FIBA World Cup in Spain.
