World Cup-bound Gilas squad may miss PBA Governor’s Cup

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud. PBA IMAGE/NUKI SABIO

MANILA, Philippines — The men’s basketball team may no longer participate in the season-ending PBA Governor’s Cup, with a chance to compete in the Fiba Asia Cup in Wuhan, China for its World Cup build-up.

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud on Thursday said that league is looking at ways to further compress the schedule to allow Gilas Pilipinas to leave for the Fiba Asia Cup in July, so a third-conference stint may “no longer be necessary.”

“Coach Chot [Reyes] stressed that the competition the team will get in Wuhan is more suitable as compared in participating in the 3rd conference where he will be playing teams lacking key players like Talk N’ Text, Rain or Shine and Ginebra,” Salud said.

“The Board is fully supportive of the idea of giving Gilas the chance to participate in that tourney in Wuhan, China as a prep tournament,” he added.

An option being considered so the Governor’s Cup could end as early as July 9 and allow Gilas Pilipinas to leave early is having 10 games or five playing game days a week, Salud said.

But the matter is still under scrutiny and will be decided with finality on April 10 in another league’s board meeting.

“You have to consider a lot of things, the venue for back to back games, and TV coveror [TV 5], will they be able to show us live,” said Salud.

The Fiba Asia Cup, which dangles an outright slot for the 2015 Fiba Asia Championships, is scheduled from July 11-19, more than a month before the World Cup in Spain.

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