No taking it easy for PH SEAG quintet

THERE’S no such thing as a sure gold medal as far as the national basketball team bound for the Southeast Asian Games in Burma (Myanmar) is concerned.

Basketball’s perennial title favorite knows all too well that overconfidence, even just a little of it, can spell disaster in the biennial meet.

“We just can’t look past the teams there (in the SEA Games),” assistant coach Josh Reyes said at yesterday’s PSA Forum in Shakey’s Malate. “Whether we win by one point or 50, what’s important is we win the gold.”

Naturalized center Marcus Douthit, who is close to recovering from a calf injury, and members of the Gilas cadet team banner the national squad skippered by Kevin Alas.

“We are expecting no less than a gold,” said Alas, who sprained an ankle recently.

The team leaves for Nay Pi Taw today, along with the women’s team, which is looking to improve on its silver-medal finish in the 2011 Games in Indonesia.

“We’re hoping to get the first gold in women’s basketball,” said Perlas Pilipinas coach Haydee Ong. “Everyone will be looking at us since we won the silver two years ago.”

Perlas was close to taking the title then, but a lapse in judgment led to Thailand forcing overtime and eventually winning.

“We’re using that loss (in Indonesia) as motivation,” said co-skipper Ewon Arayi.