Gilas to train in Miami?

MIAMI – The Philippine national basketball team is looking into the possibility of setting up camp here on July 24-Aug. 3 before flying to Spain for the FIBA World Cup with Miami Heat Charitable Fund executive director Steve Stowe awaiting confirmation to find a suitable practice facility for Gilas.

Coach Chot Reyes said yesterday PLDT chairman and SBP president Manny V. Pangilinan has approved the trip to Miami which if finalized, will be scheduled after Gilas participates at the FIBA-Asia Cup in Wuhan, China, on July 11-19. Stowe has been advised of the possibility and said he will check on the availability of a training venue, perhaps even the American Airlines Arena where the Heat plays its home games. Stowe said he will mention the possibility to Heat coach Erik Spoelstra who has done a commercial endorsement for Smart. Stowe accompanied Spoelstra in three of his four Manila visits over the last five years.

The Heat Charitable Fund was established in 1997 to support programs that uplift the lives of at-risk families in South Florida, provide educational scholarships for high school seniors and partner with inner-city elementary schools to promote the Heat Academy for after-school tutoring and mentoring. Stowe is in charge of the Heat Charitable Fund.

Miami became an option in Gilas’ pre-tournament itinerary when Brooklyn Nets center Andray Blatche, whose naturalization has been approved by Congress and is now pending Senate ratification before submission to President Aquino for final implementation, asked if the team could practice close to his home. Blatche, who lives in this Florida city during the offseason, is expected to exercise his player’s option for free agency on June 30 and will want to be accessible for new contract negotiations.

Because of Blatche’s situation, it is not likely he will join Gilas for training in the Philippines or play at the FIBA-Asia Cup. The probability is he will begin working out with Gilas here before heading for Spain. If the Miami trip is confirmed, Stowe will be requested to provide a scrimmage team for Gilas with Spoelstra invited to the camp as guest.

Gilas team manager Aboy Castro said the Philippines will join Spain-bound FIBA-Asia champion Iran and host China at the FIBA-Asia Cup in Wuhan. Zonal qualifiers are scheduled from May to June to determine other teams competing in the tournament. Castro said if the trip to Miami pushes through, Gilas will skip the four-team Korea Invitationals scheduled on July 29-Aug. 3. The Philippines was invited to participate in the Incheon pocket tournament with the New Zealand Tall Blacks who are also bound for Spain. Korea, the third Asia qualifier for the FIBA World Cup, will host the competition. Another national team headed for Spain is expected to complete the cast.

Reyes said Gilas will arrive in Madrid on Aug. 4 then travel to Vitoria by train to set up camp. At least three practice games with national teams will be scheduled in Vitoria up to Aug. 12. Then, Gilas will fly to Antibes to play in a four-team pocket tournament with Australia, Turkey or Ukraine and France on Aug. 15-17. Patrick Beesley, director of the French national team and general director of the French Basketball Federation, is organizing the competition at the brand new 5,500-seat Azur Arena in the French town which is located on the Mediterranean coast with the nearest international airport in Nice 18 kilometers away.

The Antibes team in the French Division I league is where Senegal center Saer Sene plays. Sene, 28, injured his left knee last November and hopes to be cleared to practice with the Senegal national squad next month. He led Senegal to third place at the FIBA Africa Championships in the Ivory Coast last year. The finish was good for a ticket to the FIBA World Cup. Senegal is bracketed with the Philippines in Spain.

From Antibes, Gilas will return to Vitoria to play four more practice games. The seven games in Vitoria may be with Canada, Angola, Ivory Coast, Finland, Dominican Republic, Mexico and Egypt. A friendly with Spain is a possibility.

Reyes said the plan is to arrive in Seville from Vitoria on Aug. 27. It is in Seville where the Philippines will play five preliminary games in Group B at the 7,127-seat Palacio de los Deportes San Pablo. Gilas makes its debut against Croatia on Aug. 30 then faces Greece on Aug. 31, Argentina on Sept. 1, Puerto Rico on Sept. 3 and Senegal on Sept. 4. If the Philippines wins at least two games, Gilas will advance to the knockout round-of-16 in Madrid on Sept. 6. Assuming the Philippines winds up No. 4 in Group B and host Spain No. 1 in Group A, they will meet in the crossover knockout game on Sept. 6.