GILAS Pilipinas coach Chot Reyes is looking to join tournaments for the team in nearby countries after being given notice on Monday that its invitation to the annual William Jones Cup in Taipei had been withdrawn.
Hours after learning that Gilas won't be able to compete in a tournament it won last year, Reyes said the immediate plan was to look for other tournaments to join probably "within Asia, Australia, or New Zealand."
“Sana malapit lang para hindi na tayo masyado mapagod,” Reyes told a couple of scribes shortly after the nationals’ practice at the Meralco gym on Monday night.
Reyes admitted that the Jones Cup snub has deprived Gilas the chance to test its preparedness for the Fiba-Asia championships in Manila against some of the same teams it will face in the August 1-11 tournament in Manila.
The Gilas coach said holding a pocket tournament is out of the question, adding that what the national team needs at that point of its buildup are not practice games but "quality competition."
“Ang imporante sa akin quality competition,” Reyes said. “Ang dali-dali naman kumuha ng practice games dito, but that’s not the point. It’s the kind of competition.”
Reyes said Gilas will not appeal the decision of Jones Cup organizers not to let them play in the event.
“Ayaw nila, bahala sila. Bakit natin i-a-appeal yan?’”
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