INQUIRER Sports

MANILA, Philippines - Gain more international experience and , more importantly, convince CJ Giles to become a part of an ambitious project to bring the Philippine quintet back to the Olympics.

They are the main goals of the action-hungry Smart Gilas-Pilipinas national team when it travels to Japan Monday for a four-game exhibition series just days after finishing fifth in the Fiba-Asia Champions Cup in Indonesia

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Noli Eala expressed optimism in its effort to persuade the 6-foot-11 import Giles to become a naturalized player for Smart Gilas in the 2011 Fiba-Asia Championship, the qualifying tournament for the 2012 London Olympics.

?He is open to the idea, which is a good start,? said Eala. ?We will talk to CJ?s agent (JR Harris) and to him while in Tokyo.?

Giles has received invitations from the Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic and Toronto Raptors to join the NBA camp two months from now but he seemed reluctant to leave the RP squad.

?In the NBA, I will just be another guy sitting on the bench,? Giles had earlier said.

Smart Gilas, which subdued the Rashad Bell-reinforced Talk ?N Text, 94-91, in a tuneup game Sunday, was invited to play a series of exhibition matches against the Japanese national team.

Scouts were impressed with the RP team composed of collegiate standouts and mentored by Smart Gilas coach Rajko Toroman during the Champions Cup and this became its ticket for the all-expense paid trip to Japan.

Eala said Filipino-Canadian Sean Anthony would join Smart Gilas in Japan while the SBP is hoping to bring Chris Lutz along if the Filipino-American dribbler could get his passport in time.

?We will bring Sean Anthony and possibly Chris Lutz if he can fix his passport,? said Eala.

Besides Japeth Aguilar, Anthony, a four-time all-star in the Quebec University Basketball League, and Lutz, a 6-4 guard who played for Purdue and Marshall U, are the new additions to the team seeking to bring the Philippines back to the Olympics.