HANOI. – Putting the failure of the 3×3 teams to retain their gold medals behind tham, Gilas Pilipinas opens its campaign for the title when it goes up against Thailand as regular basketball in the 31st Vietnam SEA Games gets going at the Thanh Tri Gymnasium here.
The Nationals battle the Thais at 4 p.m. (5 p.m. Manila time), focused on bagging their 19th SEA Games gold medal in men’s basketball.
Coach Chot Reyes said Gilas is up against improved competition from the region, especially Thailand, its main rival for the crown.
Reyes said that Thailand’s 3×3 team that captured the SEA Games gold last Saturday, composed of Moses Morgan, Frederick Lish, Antonio Price Soonthornchote, and Chanatip Jakwaran, will see action in the Thai’s regular team.
“The kind of opposition that we have here is serious. They are a serious threat. We already saw what happened in the 3×3. Those are the guys. We know their level and that’s why it’s very important that we will be able to beat that challenge,” said Reyes.
The men’s 3×3 team settled for the bronze medal while the women’s squad failed to bag a medal, three years after completing a title sweep back home.
Gilas had last-minute changes to its roster, with Kiefer Ravena being called up after Robert Bolick and Dwight Ramos failed to make it here. Bolick had to attend to his ailing father in the United States while Ramos still has commitments with his ballclub in the Japan B. League Toyama Grouses.
Kevin Alas also begged off to attend to his wife Selina, who was recently diagnosed with a rare cancer called Gestational Trophoblastic Neoplasia.
Ravena is eyeing his sixth SEA Games gold medal and is relishing the chance to do it with his brother Thirdy, who is making his debut in the biennial meet after his second season with San-En in Japan.
Also in the squad are six-time PBA MVP June Mar Fajardo, Matthew Wright, Roger Pogoy, Troy Rosario, Mo Tautuaa, Kib Montalbo, Isaac Go, Will Navarro, and Lebron Lopez.
Gilas Pilipinas Women also begins its quest to defend the gold when it battles Indonesia at 10 a.m. (11 a.m. Manila time).
The women’s team is eyeing a second straight title after winning the historic first gold in 2019 in Manila.
Two new players recently recruited in the United States — Gabi Bade and Stefanie Berberade — will make their SEA Games debut.
Bade, from Sacramento State, is the daughter of former PBA player Cris Bade, while Berberade is a former Player of the Year in National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics school Westmont.
“This time around, medyo malaki ang difference. Six veterans and six new ones, not to mention na meron tayong tatlong Fil-Ams. Siguro medyo maliit tayo ngayon but we are faster,” said coach Patrick Aquino.
