Gilas Pilipinas arrives in New Zealand for 10-day training camp

Smart Gilas Pilipinas arrives at Napier, New Zealand. Photo from head coach Chot Reyes Twitter account.

MANILA, Philippines — After a full day of travel, the Philippine men’s basketball team  finally arrived in New Zealand on Wednesday (Manila time) for its 10-day training camp.

The Nationals departed on Tuesday, had a six-hour layover in Hong Kong, brief stopover in Auckland before reaching Napier through a quick domestic flight.

Head coach Chot Reyes, in a tweet, described the city of Napier, located at the North Island of New Zealand, as “chilly” at this time.

Smart Gilas Pilipinas is set to undergo clinic sessions under renowned coach Tab Baldwin and six tune-up matches, including against the New Zealand National team.

The trip is aimed at getting the national squad ultimately ready for the 2013 Fiba Asia Championships, which is barely a month from now.