PLAYERS from all the pro league’s 12 teams could be tapped to suit up for Gilas Pilipinas — even coaches from the San Miguel Corporation’s umbrella.
This was stressed by Ginebra team governor and SMC sports director Alfrancis Chua amid the firestorm created by the nationals’ ill-fated campaign in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi where they settled for silver and failed to win the medal that matters most to Filipinos.
“All the teams, from team 1 to team 12, kung sino ang gusto nila doon, walang hahadlang. Kahit coach namin, hiramin nila, puwede. Basta ang schedule, sasabihin nila kay Commissioner. Iyon lang, tapos okay na,” Chua said last Monday in the pro league’s pre-season press conference at the Conrad Manila in Pasay.
“Since a couple of years ago, five years na si chairman (Ricky Vargas of TNT), nag-agree kaming lahat diyan. Ball boy, puwede nilang kunin, walang problema. Sila ang mamimili,” he added.
Commissioner Willie Marcial insisted the PBA is committed to lend players and support Gilas.
“Nandoon pa rin ang commitment ng PBA to help Gilas,” Marcial said. “Katulad ng sinasabi namin, on behalf of the board and the team owners, kung ano ang kailangan ng Gilas, ibibigay pa rin ng PBA.”
PBA chairman and TNT governor Ricky Vargas had the same sentiments, saying: “It’s not a role to look at the program of the SBP. But we are members of the community.”
“He is offering whether we can help in any way, especially next season which is the World Cup.”
Chua refuted claims that teams are hesitant to allow their players to see action for Gilas.
“Sinasabi na hindi nagpahiram, walang katotohanan iyon,” Chua said. “Matagal na naming pinag-agreehan iyon.”
Marcial said the PBA is eyeing to give Gilas two to three months to toughen up for next year’s FIBA World Cup at home soil.
“Pag-uusapan pa rin namin ng board pero kailangan bigyan talaga ng magandang preparasyon for 2023,” he said.
“Pag-uusapan ng board iyan pero nandoon na ang direksyon ng board. Mga two to three months ang preparasyon so tingnan natin.”
Gilas’ stunning loss to the Indons in the sport most cherished at home was the third time the Philippines failed in its quest for the cage gold, the first in 1979 and again in 1989, both in Malaysia.
