Smart Gilas scraps Middle East pocket tourney stint

MANILA—Smart Gilas Pilipinas scrapped its Middle East trip after Talk ‘N Text players loaned by the national team become unavailable for the pocket tournament to be held in Doha, Qatar, on Aug. 24-30.

Sunday’s deciding Game 7 of the PBA Governor’s Cup between Petron and Talk and Text has forced Philippine five coach Rajko Toroman to cancel their participation in the meet where the Nationals could size up Lebanon, Syria and Qatar a month before the Fiba Asia Championship.

Season MVP Jimmy Alapag, Kelly Williams and Ranidel de Ocampo are playing for the grand slam-seeking Tropang Texters along with Larry Fonacier and Ryan Reyes, who were recently tapped to replace some of the injured players in the Smart Gilas
roster.

Toroman said management would have to draw up a substitute plan and look for a series of tune-up games where the five TNT players could blend with the Smart Gilas core before the Asian championship in Wuhan, China, on Sept. 15-25.

“The TNT players can’t go (to Doha). They need to rest after tomorrow’s (Sunday) game,” said Toroman.

Smart Gilas was supposed to leave for the Gulf state on Tuesday and play five straight games, which is half of Toroman’s prescribed number of international games that TNT players should play with the national team.

“We’ll think of Plan B tonight (last night). We need more games for these (TNT) guys,” said Toroman.

The cancellation of the Doha trip will allow Smart Gilas players who applied for the PBA rookie draft to attend the rookie camp starting Tuesday and the main lottery event on Aug. 28 at Robinsons Ermita, Manila.

The Philippines is bracketed in Group D with host China, Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates in the first round of the Asian championship where the top prize is a ticket to the 2012 London Olympics.