WITH all of the six teams participating in the Fiba Olympic Qualifying Tournament (OQT) housed under one roof, Gabe Norwood noted that this is where the real work starts.
“I’m happy that they’re here safely. This is what you come to expect, all of them here under the same roof,” he said on Sunday.
Sofitel Philippine Plaza will serve as the teams official residence for the duration of the Manila OQT, but for Norwood, there won’t be time for pleasantries as all teams prepare to snag that elusive ticket to the 2016 Rio Olympics.
“There’s a couple of familiar faces, but for the most part, it’s guys you don’t build too much relationship with,” he said. “There’s a couple of guys that I know. Brady Heslip of Canada went to college with one of my brothers. Other than that, H (N’Diaye) from Senegal played here with Kia.”
Norwood said that the key for Gilas Pilipinas now is to keep things in check and not be overwhelmed with the gravity of the situation, and instead, focus on the bigger concerns like the all-important games.
“It feels the same. Until the games get started, I feel it’s the same. Right now, we’re just focused on getting our gameplan together and get ready for Tuesday,” he said.
Gilas Pilipinas will first face off against France on Tuesday, before tussling against New Zealand the next day at Mall of Asia Arena. The national team will need at least a victory to advance to the semifinals, where it will go up against the top two from Group A, consisting of Canada, Turkey, and Senegal.
“It’s just a matter of mentally executing and getting on the same page,” said Norwood.