GILAS Pilipinas coach Tim Cone is hopeful the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) will finally be able to complete the naturalization of Bennie Boatwright in time for the fifth window of the FIBA World Cup Asian qualifiers in Malaysia.
As far as the national mentor is concerned, the SBP is continually processing Boatwright’s application for a Philippine passport that will be the final step for his complete naturalization.
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The local cage federation has more than a month to work on Boatwright’s papers leading to the fifth window of the qualifiers scheduled in Seremban, Malaysia on Nov.27 and 29.
“They are being worked on,” said Cone of Boatwright’s current status.
“He is currently playing in China,” added the Gilas coach of the 6-foot-11 naturalized player, who is seeing action right now with the Fujian Sturgeons in the Chinese Basketball Association.
The need to fast-track Boatwright’s passport acquisition stems from the continued uncertainty of fellow naturalized player Justin Brownlee, who remains doubtful for both Gilas Pilipinas in the Asian qualifiers and Barangay Ginebra in the PBA Governors’ Cup due to varying reasons, from health issue to personal ones.
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With the 38-year-old Brownlee unavailable and lately, incommunicado as one top basketball official disclosed, the national team was left to fend for itself playing with a local lineup during the Asian qualifiers and the 20th Asian Games.
Gilas stepped up during the qualifiers, receiving a ton of support from the hometown crowd to beat Jordan and Iran for a two-game sweep of the window at the Mall of Asia Arena to get its bid for a berth in next year’s World Cup back on track.
But things didn’t work out in the Asiad where the Philippines failed to defend the gold medal after being eliminated right at the group stage and finished ninth.
Spin.ph learned the SBP tried to include Boatwright in the Asiad at the last minute especially after his papers were signed no less by President Marcos Jr.
Unfortunately, the federation was pressed for time to secure Boatwright’s passport as the Nagoya Asian Games Organizing Committee was already asking for proof of the naturalized player’s citizenship documents since basketball was the first event to be played in the Asiad last Sept. 10.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial believed Boatwright might be ready by the time Gilas plays Syria on Nov. 27 and Iran on Nov. 29.
“Palagay ko by that time puwede na si (Bennie) Boatwright,” said Marcial.
He added Gilas will likely be coming in loaded for the next window with the availability of all overseas players in the national pool like Dwight Ramos, AJ Edu, Kai Sotto, Quentin Millora-Brown, Mike Philips, Carl Tamayo, and Kevin Quiambao.
"FIBA sanctioned 'yan. So wala ng puwedeng maglaro [na liga] within our region, Japan, Korea, Chinese Taipei, stop lahat yun kasi nga FIBA sanctioned," said Marcial. "So malamang magamit natin yung mga players natin sa Korea at Japan."
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