Despite getting cut, Belga will still help Smart Gilas Pilipinas

RAIN OR SHINE’S Beau Belga (left) barrels into B-Meg import Marcus Blakely.  August dela Cruz

MANILA, Philippines – Failing to make the final lineup won’t stop Beau Belga from helping the men’s national basketball team reach perfect form for the 2013 Fiba Asia Championships.

Rain or Shine enforcer Belga was the last player who got the boot from the Smart Gilas Pilipinas training pool, which started at 24 and is now down to the final 12.

The stocky forward, though, remains available to help the squad’s bigs get ready for the tough grind downlow against taller squads in the tournament.

“Nasa practice pa rin naman ako lagi eh. Kaya matuturuan ko pa sila sa mga gagawin,” said Belga in a tweet (@bigboybelga30), replying to one of his followers on Thursday.

Belga joined the national training pool early in June and also flew to Lithuania and New Zealand, along with the team, for a series of camps.

But Belga assured that there were no hard feelings.

“I will support pa rin. Team ko na rin ang #GilasPilipinas,” Belga also said on Twitter. “Tulad nga ng sabi ko, bawal ang pusong mamon.”

Smart Gilas Pilipinas is having twice-a-day practices in Napier, New Zealand, taking notes from renowned mentor Tab Baldwin.