MVP on reports only 11 to play for Gilas: ‘Unacceptable’

Manny V. Pangilinan: FILE PHOTO

“UNACCEPTABLE.”

This was the reaction of basketball “godfather” Manny V. Pangilinan yesterday to reports suggesting that Gilas Pilipinas might be forced to play with an 11-man roster in the Incheon 17th Asian Games in South Korea starting next week.

“This is unacceptable. We should have the allowable 12 players,” the tycoon said in a series of tweets through his official Twitter account, @iammvp, after newspapers published reports that Gilas could be facing that disadvantage in the Games.

A report from the Philippine task force that is already in South Korea quoted Philippine Sports Commission chair and chief of mission Richie Garcia on Wednesday as saying that several countries, including China, Iran and Japan, might question the inclusion of Marcus Douthit in the national team roster in place of Andray Blatche.

“Yes, it is a possibility, but I hope it won’t happen,” Garcia said.

The team lineups will be finalized during the team managers’ meeting on the eve of the basketball competition.

Douthit was earlier approved as replacement for Blatche, the PH team’s scoring machine in the recent Fiba World Cup who was deemed ineligible under Olympic Council of Asia rules that require naturalized players to have a three-year residency in the country he will represent.

If Douthit is not allowed to replace Blatche, then he would be taking over the position of an injured player in the original Gilas roster, thus leaving the team with only 11 men for the tournament.

The Inquirer report yesterday also said that the Philippines is already armed with a letter from the Incheon Asian Games Organizing Committee (IAGOC) allowing Douthit to come in for Blatche.

Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas vice president Ricky Vargas reiterated this in a phone call to the Inquirer.

“Marcus (was) already cleared by OCA (Olympic Council of Asia) in their Sept. 8 letter to us and by IAGOC during the DRM last Sept. 11,” Pangilinan also said.

The Philippines is one of the favorites for the basketball gold medal, which it last won in 1962 with a team built around Caloy “The Big Difference” Loyzaga.