Photo by Tristan Tamayo/INQUIRER.net
Mac Belo is keeping his hopes up that Gilas Pilipinas’ request for change of lineup will be approved by the competition committee in the 2017 Southeast Asian Games.
The Midsayap, North Cotabato will still fly with the Nationals to Kuala Lumpur on Friday as the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) awaits the result of its request for a player change.
“In case, the SEA Games allows us (to make the replacement), at least he’s already there,” said head coach Jong Uichico.
If approved, the Blackwater rookie will replace Carl Bryan Cruz in the roster.
Cruz, together with Christian Standhardinger, were initially tasked to pull a double duty for Gilas Pilipinas after earlier seeing action at the 2017 Fiba Asia Cup in Beirut, Lebanon.
Standhardinger will leave from Lebanon on Thursday to join the SEA Games-bound crew, while Cruz will await for the approval, which is expected to come out by Saturday, on the eve of the Philippines’ tournament opener against Thailand.
Belo is coming off a torn meniscus on his right knee which kept him out of the 2017 PBA Commissioner’s Cup.
With his knee fully healed, the 24-year-old is gunning to claim his third gold in the biennial meet.