Gilas gets feel of new ball in first workout

Gilas Pilipinas Photo by Ryan Leagogo / INQUIRER.net

INCHEON, South Korea—Gilas Pilipinas plunged into its first practice here Sunday at Song Do High School gym, a day after the celebrated basketball team arrived in this industrialized coastal city for the 17th Asian Games.

“Right now, our first order of business is to practice and to scout our rivals,” said national coach Chot Reyes, who will be able to field a full 12-man lineup after Marcus Douthit and Jimmy Alapag were cleared to replace Andray Blatche and Jayson Castro Williams.

The team is coming off an epic showing in the Fiba World Cup in Spain, where its 1-4 record belied the tough stand it put up against world powers.

Different official ball

The team spent the practice session getting used to the official tournament ball. In a departure from tradition, the Asian Games basketball competition won’t be using the same ball as the one used in official Fiba tournaments.

Gilas will open its Asiad stint on Tuesday, when it battles the top team in Group B of the qualifying round.

That team will be known after Kazakhstan battles the winner between India and Saudi Arabia that was ongoing at press time. Kazakhstan defeated Palestine, 72-50, in Saturday’s Group B qualifying game.

Gilas Pilipinas has already been seeded into Group E of the tournament along with Fiba Asia championship tormentor Iran.

A win against the top Group B team will send the Nationals to the quarterfinals.

Gold-medal drought Blatche was initially penciled in the Gilas Pilipinas roster as the team campaigns to end the country’s basketball gold-medal drought in the Asiad.

The team hasn’t won an Asian Games gold in over five decades. But Blatche failed to pass the eligibility requirements of the Olympic Council of Asia, thus forcing Gilas Pilipinas to replace him with Douthit, who led the team to the silver medal finish in the Fiba Asia championship in Manila last year. Castro, meanwhile, was decommissioned by a knee injury.

Gilas Pilipinas will hold its second practice session on Monday afternoon, also at Song Do High School.