The Philippine women’s basketball team is seeking the approval of the SEA Games Task Force to replace two members of the squad bound for Burma (Myanmar) next month.
Perlas Pilipinas head coach Haydee Ong said UAAP Most Valuable Player Camille Sambile and former Perlas mainstay Angeli Gloriani will be tapped to replace Aewon Arayi and center Lalaine Flormata, who both played in the recent Fiba Asia Women’s Championship in Bangkok.
Flormata, the tallest among the players at six feet, has a stress fracture in her lower leg while the team decided to retire Arayi, an athletic guard with Nigerian roots.
But Ong said the final decision on the player change would still come from chef de mission Jeff Tamayo and Philippine Olympic Committee chair Tom Carrasco, who jointly head the SEAG Task Force.
Perlas placed joint third with Indonesia in Level 2 of the recent Asian championship after failing to advance to Level 1 by losing to Malaysia and Indonesia. But the cagebelles were still allowed to compete in the Myanmar games on Dec. 11-22.
“They can make a go for the gold,’’ said Philippine Sports Commission chair Richie Garcia, who approved the inclusion of Perlas in the delegation.
Other members of the team submitted by the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas to the Task Force are Chovi Borja, Kristina Tolentino, Joan Grajales, Melissa Jacob, Cindy Resultay, Karen Lomogda, Analyn Amazan, Bernadette Mercado, Angelica Ortega, Juvelyn Andaya, Denise Patricia Tiu, Mary Joy Galicia, Fria Bernardo and Cassy Tioseco.