THE Gilas Pilipinas training camp that head coach Chot Reyes has called next week won’t deal with physical preparation as much as the camaraderie of the national team.
Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) executive director Renuald ‘Sonny’ Barrios said the training camp that Reyes has scheduled is more of a bonding session between the players and the coaching staff before Gilas plunges to full training.
“Basically, they are having a mini-training camp, more of not so much of the physical training. Tingin ko dun, more of getting to know each other, more on the bonding-type kind of training camp.
“Hindi siya ‘yung talagang skills at physical preparation,” Barrios told SPIN.ph without revealing any other detail.
[See Gilas assembles for first time in three-day camp]
Reyes bared the training camp is set to be held from March 14 to 16. Although the Gilas coach didn’t disclosed the location, SPIN.ph learned the team will most likely hold camp in Tagaytay City.
The decision to hold a bonding session as a training camp, instead of a practice session, was perhaps due to its proximity to the opening of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup, which will begin on March 17.
The training camp will officially kick off the buildup for the coming Southeast Asian Basketball Association (Seaba) championship which the country will host from May 12 to 18 at the Smart-Araneta Coliseum.
The Seaba tourney is a qualifier for the 2017 Fiba-Asia Cup, which in turn will also serve as the basis for inclusion in the reformatted qualifiers for the 2019 Fiba World Cup.
Twenty-four PBA players have been selected to join the pool, 12 of which were already part of the Gilas cadets that entered the draft last year. The other half is made up of veterans selected by Reyes from each of the 12 PBA ballclubs.