WHAT lies ahead for Gilas Pilipinas was discussed in passing Friday night when the country’s top two sports patron hosted and honored the team that regained Asian basketball supremacy for the Philippines.
What's next for Gilas Pilipinas?
San Miguel Corporation (SMC) CEO and President Ramon S. Ang and PLDT Chairman and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) Chairman Emeritus Manny V. Pangilinan treated the entire men’s national team to a dinner at the Meralco Lighthouse in Ortigas Center in the aftermath of its historic triumph in the recent 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China.
It was the first time both Ang and Pangilinan personally met the team together since reclaiming the gold in the Asiad last Oct. 6 after a 70-60 win over Jordan in the championship match.
Only three members of the team were not around, namely Justin Brownlee, hero of the team’s stunning 77-76 upset of defending champion and host China in the semifinals, Ange Kouame, and head coach Tim Cone.
Brownlee and Kouame are both abroad, while Cone was under the weather.
Ang and Pangilinan both congratulated and thanked the team for its sacrifices in bringing honor to the country.
And amid the merrymaking, the prime movers in the sudden resurgence of Philippine basketball on top of the Asian region, also talked about the path the team will take in the coming months with the Olympic Qualifying Tournament and the FIBA Asia Cup qualifiers just around the corner.
“Napag-usapan ng bahagya yun kung ano ang tatahakin ng Gilas pagtapos nitong Asian Games. Pati yung naturalized players nabanggit din,” said PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, also deputy team manager of Gilas Pilipinas, without further elaborating.
Ang and Pangilinan were at the center of the discussion along with SMC sports director and Gilas team manager Alfrancis Chua, Marcial, PBA chairman Ricky Vargas, and Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas (SBP) president Al S. Panlilio.
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