FILE — The young Gilas team which competed in the 2021 Fiba Asia Cup qualifiers in Bahrain. FIBA PHOTO
MANILA, Philippines—Gilas Pilipinas could play in the PBA Philippine Cup this season with the national team expected to feature in eight to 10 matches–if plans push through.
The possibility still depends on the national team’s training schedule and the opening dates for the All-Filipino Cup, which is being targeted for late May or early June.
“We even want the team to be a regular competitor who can one day be the champion,” said PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial told the league’s website in Filipino.
“It still depends on their practices and overall program, and that might include training in abroad.
Gilas’ inclusion in the coming Philippine Cup is the league’s way of helping the nationals prepare for the Fiba Asia Cup Qualifiers and the Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
If he plans carry on, Gilas will play in the curtain-raisers of triple-headers in tune-up games versus PBA clubs.
This wasn’t the first time that the Philippine national team played in the PBA as the guest team as Gilas 1 featured in the 2009-10 Philippine Cup going 3-6.
It was in the 1980s however that the national team had the most success when the NCC Philippine team under Ron Jacobs had a couple of third place finishes before winning the 1985 Reinforced Conference.