Due to Taiwan dispute, Gilas gets 'un-invited' to Jones Cup

What Gilas-Pilipinas national team coach Chot Reyes feared the most finally turned into a painful reality Monday night.

The Nationals will no longer have the chance to defend the Jones Cup title after the event organizers refused to include the Gilas-Pilipinas in the annual cage event, no thanks to the brewing diplomatic tension between the Philippines and Chinese-Taipei.

Via his personal Twitter account (@coachot), Reyes posted:

The ill-fated development, coupled with the fact that several key members of Gilas-Pilipinas are hounded by a spate of injuries, clearly served a huge blow to the Nationals’ preparation for the upcoming FIBA-Asia cage championships set in Manila this August 1-11.

RELATED: Gilas' Jones Cup stint imperiled

As host, Chinese-Taipei has the privilege to invite preferred participants and decline interested parties in the annual Jones Cup.

Obviously, the fatal shooting of a Taiwanese fisherman in disputed waters off Batanes last May 9 by the Philippine Coast Guard was the main reason behind the rejection of the Gilas-Pilipinas’ participation, according to Reyes.

Rain or Shine wingman Gabe Norwood, who played an instrumental role along with reigning tournament MVP LA Tenorio of Barangay Ginebra in leading the Nationals to a stunning win over a US team beefed up by several NBA D-League veterans, rued the missed chance but still sounded positive.
 

 
With still more two months left to prime up for the cage spectacle in August, Reyes is now on the lookout for a possible warm-up tournament.
 

According to a reliable source, the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, headed by executive director Renauld “Sonny” Barrios ” received a letter from the organizers and advised “it will be for your safety not to play in the Jones Cup.”