By REYNALD MAGALLON
Gilas Pilipinas has eagerly waited for 12 months to make up for a nightmarish end to its once proud 33-year dominance in the Southeast Asian region.
This happened almost a year ago when the Nationals suffered a shocking 84-81 loss to Indonesia in the 31st Southeast Asian Games in Vietnam, relinquishing the men’s 5-on-5 basketball crown in the process.
To some who were part of that unfortunate collapse, it has been an eternity of anxious waiting, a long and winding road that would finally come to an end once the retooled Gilas, tasked with serving as a redeemer to the debacle made by its previous version, sets foot in Phnom Penh.
But the burden of pressure does not exactly fall on the shoulders of the players who will try to reclaim what was lost for Gilas.
The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas and head coach Chot Reyes, both of whom willingly took the blame and were overly hated for the upset loss, are the ones who have the chips on their shoulders.
However, it is not only the failure of the past that haunts Gilas heading into the SEA Games this year. The same old problems emerge as the biggest roadblock to the country’s bid for a stellar performance.
Gilas has indeed got a formidable reinforcement in Justin Brownlee, but the absence of national team mainstays in June Mar Fajardo, Jamie Malonzo, RR Pogoy, and Scottie Thompson and the unavailability of the country’s top players in Mikey Williams and Stanley Pringle, along with the lack of enough preparation time, cast doubts on whether the nationals can complete their mission this time around.
The presence of Ginebra coach Tim Cone would be of great help.
The defending champion, Indonesia, for one, is pulling out all the stops, tapping three naturalized players led by Lester Prosper to make sure to retain the throne.
It also does not help that the pressure and the stakes are higher this time around, with keen eyes focused on how Gilas will perform, especially with the 2023 FIBA World Cup just around the corner. The result of the SEA Games run will also determine whether Reyes will have the confidence of this basketball-crazy nation when he returns to the world stage.
Redemption seems to be a common theme for the national cagers in Cambodia.
The Gilas Women’s team is eyeing a piece of history with its three-peat bid but is also out to put up a better performance after a 96-93 loss to Malaysia in its last game left a bitter taste in its mouth despite winning the gold medal last time.
The returning Jack Animam is also expected to boost the country’s bid not only in the women’s 5-on-5 but also to lead the way for Women’s 3×3, which failed to land on the podium last time out.
Almond Vosotros and company are likewise determined to reclaim the gold in the men’s 3×3 after settling for a bronze in the last edition.
With the rest of its SEA neighbors seemingly catching up, it is up to SBP and Gilas Pilipinas to prove that their basketball programs remain the best among its peers. A sweep of basketball events would be a fitting way to get the message across – that the country remains the King and Queens of the sport in the region. Anything less would be another debacle.
