Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Gilas Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes admitted that the atmosphere in the national team camp turned dark after Andray Blatche opted to sit out the 2017 Fiba Asia Cup.
“[Our confidence is] very, very low. I mean, we’re going to fight, and we’re going to fight like hell, but we have to manage expectations,” he said as the national team resumed team practices Thursday at Upper Deck Gym in Pasig.
Christian Standhardinger, the 6-foot-7 stand-in for Blatche will try to keep some light of hope burning for the country.
“I’m going to be ready,” the Filipino-German vowed.
He better be.
Not only is he anchoring the middle for the Philippines—a team traditionally devoid of a low-block threat in a frontline-heavy Asian hardcourt—in the Fiba Asia, he’ll also be pulling off double duty.
Standhardinger is also in the lineup of the Gilas Pilipinas squad that will do battle in the Southeast Asian Games.
“I feel very honored that I’ll play for two tournaments for the Philippines. I think that means that the coaches like what they see or they wouldn’t let me participate in both. I’m going to try my best to help win us as a whole to win both tournaments,” Standhardinger said.
Blatche made his official announcement via a brief Instagram post on Wednesday: “I will always be very thankful for the opportunity, the love, and the support I have received from my Filipino family but it’s a lot of reason why I can’t join. I don’t expect for many people to understand but I do wish my brothers the best of luck.”
Standhardinger will try to fill in for the 30-year-old Blatche, huge shoes that are not easily filled.
And he even doesn’t have time to prepare for it.
“I thought we had 12 days of practice and right, we have 12 days practice—except not with the whole team. We’re still not complete so it’s gonna be very, very difficult,” Reyes said. “That’s the tough part with this Fiba Asia. We’re going to go into a tournament, into a war and we’re never complete.”
Still, Reyes is hoping that the individual greatness of these players will be enough to deliver results.
“You know these guys. They never quit, they never give up. Hopefully, we can spring some surprises come Fiba Asia,” he said.
Also doing double duty for the country is Carl Cruz, who will see action in the SEA Games in Kuala Lumpuer and in the Fiba Asia.
“It’s going to be tiring, but opportunities like this are rare. You can’t mind fatigue if it’s for the country,” said Cruz in Filipino.