BY WAYLON GALVEZ
Games Wednesday
(Mall of Asia Arena)
12 noon – Vietnam vs Myanmar (Men’s)
2:15 p.m. – Thailand vs Indonesia (Men’s)
6 p.m. – Malaysia vs Thailand (Women’s)
8:15 p.m. – Philippine vs Singapore (Men’s)
Gilas Pilipinas launches its quest for an 18th gold medal when it battles Singapore Wednesday at the start of the basketball competition of the 30th SEA Games at the Mall of Asia Arena.
Though the team lacks the much-needed time to prepare for the biennial meet, Gilas coach Tim Cone believes his team has the necessary tools and is ready to extend the country’s reign since the 2007 Nakhon Ratchasima Games in Thailand.
The country was suspended by the International Basketball Federation due to leadership squabble so basketball was not played when the country last hosted the biggest regional sportsfest in 2005.
“For the time that we have had, we feel we have the guys, not exactly where we want them, but where we need them to be,” said Cone, who began training session in early October in preparation for the SEA Games.
“They (players) have worked hard and have been serious in their approach. We’re hoping that translates once we hit the floor against Singapore,” added Cone, back on the national team 21 years after leading the Philippines to a bronze medal finish in the 1998 Asian Games.
The match is set at 8:15 p.m. with the Nationals not going to take the Singaporeans lightly this time since the latter gave the previous team – an all-amateur PH squad – a hard time during the 2017 edition in Kuala Lumpur.
The Nationals agonized before eking out a 68-60 win.
The Nationals will be without TNT KaTropa players Jayson Castro and RR Pogoy due to injuries although Castro has already recovered.
Taking their places are NLEX’s Kiefer Ravena and Ginebra’s Greg Slaughter.
Other members of the team are Ginebra guys LA Tenorio, Stanley Pringle and Japeth Aguilar, San Miguel’s Chris Ross, Marcio Lassiter and June Mar Fajardo, Matthew Wright of Phoenix Fuel, TNT’s Troy Rosario, NorthPort’s Christian Standhardinger and Vic Manuel of Alaska.
For his part, Slaughter said it’s a privilege for him to be chosen again as the final piece of the national team, something he wants to do following his initial stint with the original Smart Gilas Pilipinas from 2009 to 2011.
“I am very happy to be playing on the national team again especially on our home soil,” said Slaughter, who also played one game for Gilas last year during the Asian qualifier to the FIBA World Cup under coach Yeng Guiao.
“There was some doubt if I would be okay in time to play but I really did not want to miss this opportunity and worked very hard. Everyone on the team has been supportive… and I’m really grateful to coach Tim for including me in the line up.”
The national team has ruled the basketball event for 17 times in 19 SEA Games, including 14 straight that began in 1991 when the event was also held here. The two losses came in 1979 in Jakarta and in 1989 in KL – both against Malaysia.
Aside from Singapore, the national team will also face Vietnam on Friday and Myanmar on Saturday for preliminary Group A action. Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and Cambodia are in Group B.
The top two teams from each group will advance in the semifinals on December 9, with the winners moving to the gold medal game on December 10.
