Garcia brings Blatche issue to Iagoc on Thursday

Philippine Sports Association Chairman Richie Garcia. PDI FILE PHOTO/ RICHARD REYES

Chef de mission Richie Garcia is confident that Marcus Douthit will make the grade as replacement for Andray Blatche  but remained tight-lipped on whether a deal can be cut for the former Brooklyn Nets mainstay who shone for Gilas Pilipinas  in the Fiba World Cup still ongoing in Spain.

Garcia, the Philippine Sports Commission chair, will sit down with the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee (Iagoc)  in a meeting today where the eligibility of Blatche in the 17th Asian Games will be decided with finality.

“There are feelers that Douthit will be allowed to play,’’ said Garcia. “But we will still try our best to convince the organizers to give Blatche a chance.’’

Blatche, who gained Filipino citizenship through naturalization three months ago, has been disqualified from playing for  Gilas in the continental Games to be held in Incheon starting Sept. 19 despite suiting up for the Nationals in the Fiba World Cup.

The Olympic Council of Asia, which runs the Asian Games, has imposed a three-year residency rule on naturalized players, a directive that the organizing Iagoc has adopted.

Garcia will be accompanied by Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas senior consultant Moying Martelino in Incheon.

Without an accreditation, Martelino, however, won’t be permitted to join the discussion in the delegation registration meeting.

“But he (Martelino) will be there to help me on this,’’ said Garcia.

If the 6-foot-11 Blatche fails to get the clearance for good, Garcia said they would push for Douthit as replacement.

The Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas didn’t include Douthit in the original 12-man lineup it submitted to the Asiad organizers.

Douthit, who represented Gilas twice in the Asian championship (2011 and 2013) and played a vital role in the country’s silver-medal finish last year in Manila, can only replace an injured player in the roster.

The SBP, which sponsors the participation of Gilas in international tournaments, is contemplating on either bringing the case to the Swiss-based Court of Arbitration for Sport or skip the Asian Games for good should the appeal on Blatche and Douthit fall on deaf ears.

“We’re concerned about the consequences if they (SBP) decide to pull out the team,’’ said Garcia, who discussed the issue with Philippine Olympic Committee president Jose “Peping’’ Cojuangco Jr. Tuesday before he left for Incheon.

SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan has made a last-ditch appeal to OCA president Sheikh Ahmad Al-Fahad Al-Sabah after the OCA initially rejected the endorsement of the International Basketball Federation (Fiba) to let Blatche play.