MADRID, Spain—“All the way.”
That’s how far Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes thinks the country will go, when it guns for the Philippines’ first Asian Games cage gold medal in Incheon, South Korea, later this month.
But, that is if….
“If we can get a few breaks, and for as long as we stay healthy, I think we can go all the way,” Reyes said in Seville, a few hours after Gilas tripped Senegal in overtime, 81-79, for the country’s first World Cup win in 40 years.
And then came the biggest if.
“Also, if Andray is allowed to play,” he added. “We’re playing at a higher level than last year at Fiba-Asia (qualifying). People have seen how good we are with Blatche. (If he is not eligible), sayang lahat ng development natin dito.”
The team already has injury issues on Jason Castro, Marc Pingris and even Paul Lee, and Blatche’s case with the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee (IAGOC) is dragging on that it is also hampering the schedule of the Filipinos’ preparations.
“We need to know before the 12th (of this month),” Reyes said. “That’s when we start practice again.”
No less than Philippine Olympic Committee president Peping Cojuangco and chef de mission Richie Garcia, also the Philippine Sports Commission chair, will be flying to Korea to finally get the real—and final—score on Blatche.
The Philippine campaign also got a big backing from the international basketball federation (Fiba), the world’s ruling body, who urged the IAGOC to uphold the eligibility Blatche.
“He’ll be flying in from Atlanta (in the United States) to rejoin the team on the 12th,” Aboy Castro, the Gilas team manager said of Blatche. “That’s why we need to know. If not, we might ask him not to come anymore unless he really wants to join the team.”
The Philippines belongs to a very strong group in the qualifying in Korea, where regional champion Iran and possibly Kazakhstan are also in.
“If not Kazakhstan, it’s India,” Reyes said of the last probable group member. “Right away, we have the strongest bracket in Korea. I don’t know how that happened. But we’re in that group.”
After opening the eyes of the world on the brand of Philippine basketball, Reyes has no doubt that they scared the wits out of regional powerhouses China and South Korea, that’s why everything is being exhausted to keep Blatche out of the PH Five roster.
Worst case scenario is that the Philippines will have Marcus Douthit in Incheon, and if the country is stronger with Blatche, the Filipinos are more fluid with Douthit.
“But it will be an entirely different approach [with Marcus],” Reyes said.
And what that means will only be seen when the Filipinos go for their first basket in Incheon in three weeks.