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Gilas Pilipinas program set for second reboot

Gilas Pilipinas program set for second reboot

It appears Gilas Pilipinas will be starting from scratch once again.

Manny V. Pangilinan, president of the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas, proposed that there be a “participative and consultative approach” involving the PBA and other stakeholders in the selection of players who will represent the Philippines in international basketball tournaments in the near future.

Pangilinan pin-pointed nine international tournaments for 2015 that would be key for the Philippine team, the most important of which is the 28th FIBA Asia Championship  which will be held in China next year.

The FIBA Asia Championship this coming August will serve as the regional qualifier to the Rio de Janeiro Olympics in 2016.

During a meeting, the SBP Board approved the formation of a screening-selection committee composed of SBP board members representing the UAAP, NCAA, CESAFI, NAASCU, and the SBP through executive director Sonny Barrios for national teams not involving PBA players, which would see action in the Southeast Asian Games

The PBA, PBA D-League, and the SBP will get to decide the formation of the team that would compete in tournaments such as the FIBA Asia Qualifying, World Cup, and Asian Games as these would involve PBA players.

The committees will “short list” candidates for submission to the SBP Executive Committee made up of the SBP chairman, president, vice chairman, vice president and executive director “for ultimate final approval of the SBP Board of Trustees.”

This means that the current Gilas program will see its second reboot. The first edition of Smart-Gilas Pilipinas was coached by Rajko Toroman. It was disbanded after falling short of their goal which was to qualify for the 2012 London Olympics. This squad was made up of mostly amateur cagers backed up by a handful of PBA players with naturalized Filipino Marcus Douthit.

The second edition of the team saw an all-professional group coached by Chot Reyes. This edition won the silver medal in the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship to qualify for the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain with naturalized player Marcus Douthit.

During the meeting, the SBP board was also briefed by Pangilinan on the country’s initial bid to host the 2019 FIBA World Cup, with FIBA coming up with a list of candidates by the end of next month.

Pangilinan reiterated the need to “undertake an all-encompassing overall nationwide program” for the next two years.