By JONAS TERRADO
Kiefer Ravena expects Gilas Pilipinas to have its hands full against rival South Korea and Indonesia in the final window of the FIBA Asia Cup Qualifiers slated Feb. 18 to 22 in Doha, Qatar.
Gilas needs just one win to secure its place in the continental qualifiers set in Jakarta, but that could be easier said than done with South Korea expected to field a strong lineup and Indonesia being reinforced by former PBA import Lester Prosper.
“Everytime you come into the tournament, you go to have that Level 10 confidence because if you do not come in there with 10 as your confidence level, it means that you haven’t prepare enough,” Ravena said during a recent interview on the Instagram page of the FIBA Asia Cup.
“And in that level, you play against Indonesia and (South) Korea, all those teams will come in with superior confidence whatever the standings are. You just have to come in with that mindset and we have to come in with the knowledge that you have prepared enough to play against anybody else.
“So I’d say, it’s going to be a test for us,” added Ravena from the Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna where he and the rest of Gilas pool have spent the last few weeks preparing for the window.
Gilas will face South Korea twice on Feb. 18 and 22 and Indonesia on Feb. 20 in the Qatari capital, carrying a perfect 3-0 record for top spot in Group A.
South Korea skipped the second window in Bahrain last November due to health concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic, resulting in a sanction from FIBA. The South Koreans hold a 2-0 record for second in the group.
Indonesia is in third at 1-2, but is already assured of a spot in the Asia Cup being the host country.
The Philippines rolled past Indonesia, 100-70, in their previous qualifiers match last Feb. 24 in Jakarta but the dynamics have changed with the presence of Prosper as Indonesia’s naturalized player.
Gilas is waiting for 7-foot-3 Kai Sotto to complete his mandatory quarantine period before he can participate in the training bubble in Calamba. The team leaves for Doha next week.
