Gilas Pilipinas Head Coach Vincent “Chot” Reyes gives instruction during the Philippines and Kazakhstan basketball game held at Hwaseoung Sports Complex, during the 17th Asian Games, Incheon, South Korea.
INCHEON, South Korea—It took just one game for Gilas Pilipinas’ plans to come unhinged in the 17the Asian Games here.
And it wasn’t even the loss to Korea or the failure to widen a 67-65 victory over Kazakhstan to an 11-point margin that would have kept the Philippines above the quotient line and in the semifinals of the men’s basketball competition.
“The real problem was the game against Qatar,” said national coach Chot Reyes. “The story of our tournament was our loss to Qatar.”
Qatar turned back the Philippines, 67-58, in the quarterfinal round and shredded Gilas Pilipinas’ Asiad basketball blueprint in a way that the Filipinos could never tape it back together again. The team blew a 16-point lead against Korea and lost, 97-95, and a day later, watched an 18-point cushion melt way below the quotient line against Kazakhstan.
“Of course, we are really disappointed with the result,” Reyes said. “But there’s nothing to be ashamed of.”
Now, Reyes is simply hoping that the Gilas program continues.
“We wanted to get back our respectability in Asia and we did it,” he said, citing the gains that Gilas Pilipinas had achieved, including winning its first game in the Fiba World Cup in 40 years. “It’s a shame if we all would judge this program based on this tournament.”
“This is just a blip in the program and I hope we overcome this one and start moving forward. The program must continue.”
There were signs that Gilas Pilipinas will resume regular programming once the team flies back to the Philippines.
Chief supporter Manny V.Pangilinan, the business tycoon who heads the national basketball federation, has given Reyes a vote of confidence. Sources also revealed that Marcus Douthit has been offered a one-year extension by management, which means he will be constantly available for tournaments that first-choice reinforcement Andray Blatche cannot suit up for.
And in the end, Reyes shouldered the blame for the Philippines’ exit from a tournament where it was looking to end a more than five-decade drought for an Asiad gold.
“I don’t shy away from responsibility,” he said. “I take responsibility for what happened here.”
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