GILAS Pilipinas cagers are set to pack their bags today and leave for a three-day closed-door training camp at the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna.
Hopefully, they would be armed with an indomitable faith that they have what it takes.
While the Philippine five is seemingly facing a mission impossible in the FIBA Olympic qualifying tourney from July 2 to 7 in Latvia, national coach Tim Cone has high hopes for his squad whose core is made up of the team that saw action in last year’s World Cup.
“I feel like that group gave us the idea that we can compete, just got to figure out a way to get over the hump,” Cone said. “I’m not sure we have the answer to that but, that’s what we’re going to try to be doing.
“Get over that hump with on these European teams that we’ll be playing. But we’re excited because we saw what we could do in the World Cup,” he added.
Naturalized star Justin Brownlee banners Cone’s charges for the make-or-break tilt along with reigning seven-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo, former winner Scottie Thompson, Kai Sotto, Chris Newsome, Calvin Oftana, CJ Perez, Dwight Ramos, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao.
Alternates Japeth Aguilar and Mason Amos will replace injured big man AJ Edu who will miss the OQT due to nagging knee issues, and Jamie Malonzo, who is on rehab after going under the knife on his left calf.
After the training camp, the Filipino dribblers will take on the Taiwan Mustangs in an exhibition match on Monday, June 24, at the PhilSports Arena in Pasig.
The friendly tiff will also serve as a send-off for Gilas.
Ranked 37th in the world, Cone’s charges must finish in the top two of their group that includes Georgia and Latvia to reach the crossover semifinals against the top two of Group B, which has No. 12 Brazil, No. 17 Montenegro, and No. 67 Cameroon.
The winners of the crossover semis will clash for the lone slot next month in the French capital in what will be the Philippines’ centennial jubilee campaign in the Games since fielding a contingent in the birthplace of Baron Pierre de Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic movement, in 1924.
Aside from the OQT, Gilas will resume its bid in the second window set for Nov. 21 and 24 after it completed a 2-0 sweep of the first round of the Asia Cup qualifiers last February.
“I’m the Ginebra coach but everybody’s talking to me about being the Gilas coach at this point and that’s really exciting,” Cone said. “They’re really connecting in and the support we get from the stakeholders as well. They are there for us. Anything we need, we get.”
The long and winding road for a last chance to get to Paris will certainly bring out the best in Gilas, with Cone at the helm.
