GILAS Pilipinas left for Jakarta on Friday for its Fiba Asia Cup 2021 qualifier match against Indonesia on Sunday at the Britama Arena.
Wary of the threat posed by the coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak in Asia, Gilas left on Friday after Fiba decided to push through with the event despite a call by the Indonesian government to postpone the match.
Indonesia suffered a 33-point loss at the hands of Korea on Thursday night to open their Fiba Asia Cup qualifier campaign, but Gilas is not letting up in its buildup.
Gilas held one more practice session at the Kerry Sports Center in Taguig City instead of the Meralco Gym owing to the former's proximity to the airport, before making the short flgiht to Jakarta.
Gilas is expected to have one more practice session on Saturday following their arrival in the Indonesian capital city.
Gilas interim coach Mark Dickel is excited to coach an international competition for the first time since he was the national coach of Albania from 2010 to 2011.
“Incredibly excited. Huge honor. I was talking with Troy [Rosario] and Roger [Pogoy] and I said don’t come back to Talk ‘N Text if you don’t play well. I’m trying to put all the heat on them,” said Dickel in jest.
“But no, it’s a huge honor. I’m excited and I hope we play a good game on Sunday,” he added.
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