Battle-ready Smart Gilas five leaves for Asian joust

MANILA, Philippines - Smart Gilas Pilipinas leaves for Wuhan, China this morning, whipped up to fighting form by a three-year training program and firmed up by a naturalized player and four PBA reinforcements that should make them ready for their dream of making it to the 2012 London Olympics.

They depart at 6:30 a.m., hopeful of their chances in the 26th Fiba Asia Championship, the journey that decides their Olympic aspiration.

The Nationals, who have never made the Olympics in over three decades, open their campaign in the Wuhan meet against Bahrain Thursday.

“It will not be easy but we surely are sending the best SBP could put together under the circumstances,” said SBP vice chairman Ricky Vargas.

“One thing I’m sure about is that our players will give it all they have for flag and country. We might spring a few surprises as underdogs against perennial favorites,” Vargas added.

The coaching staff is convinced the team has a legitimate chance to win.

Head coach Rajko Toroman maintains the initial goal is to make the knockout stage then everything can happen from there.

The Serbian mentor, a one-time Fiba Asia winner, presided over the Nationals’ last practice at home at the Meralco gym yesterday.

“With Marcus Douthit plus the four pros (Kelly Williams, Ranidel de Ocampo, Jimmy Alapag and Asi Taulava), the good draw, the format, with no Yao Ming (for China) plus a little luck, we have a legit chance to win it all,” said assistant coach Chot Reyes.

“Tactically and technically, coach Rajko is prepared. He has done a tremendous job bringing our country to respectable level,” said Ryan Gregorio, who’s also a deputy to Rajko for this Asian meet.

“Douthit’s help will be critical on both ends because he has the size, length and intelligence to compete against the best centers in Asia. But the biggest contributions are coming from Ranidel and Kelly at position No. 4 and Jimmy at point guard,” Gregorio also said.

The three coaches agreed the addition of Williams, De Ocampo and Alapag has made the team more upbeat.

The three also agreed, though, that the task is not easy.

They mentioned China, Korea and Japan from East Asia and Iran, Jordan, Lebanon and Qatar from Middle East as the other teams to beat.

But the Nationals should be ready to compete.

“This is what we prepared for when we embarked on this ambitious project three years ago. The dream of earning a ticket to London, though lofty, can be achieved,” said Gregorio.