Marc Pingris has made a 360-degree turnaround, offering his services back to Gilas Pilipinas, four days after a personal talk with national coach Tab Baldwin, hoping to join the country’s campaign in the FIBA Asia Championship in Changha, China next month.
Pingris, a core member of the Gilas team in the last Asian meet and the succeeding FIBA World Cup, said he has reconsidered his decision after a talk with the management of his mother ball club the Star Hotshots.
“Despite my earlier pronouncement not to join and give others a chance to play for the country, Purefoods management has asked me to reconsider my decision. I talked to my wife and we agreed,” said Pingris in a statement.
“In the end, it was pride and honor in representing the Philippines that prevailed over me,” Pingris said.
“I am grateful for management’s support and if the Philippine team still needs me, I promise to go all out for the country in the FIBA Asia Championship as it aims to gain a slot in the Rio Olympics next year,” he added.
The question now is whether the Gilas’ door is still open to Pingris.
“I’ve been talking to the coaches and team management about Pingris but they will not comment until things become official,” said Sport5.ph’s Carlo Pamintuan, who is with the Gilas team in Estonia, on his Twitter account.
“We have not received word from Manila regarding Marc Pingris’ status,” said Gilas team manager Butch Antonio as quoted by Pamintuan.
Meanwhile, Star Hotshots top official Rene Pardo stressed San Miguel has always been supportive of endeavors to promote national pride.
“We’re in Tianjin (China), in Wuhan (China), in Spain and in Inchon (Korea) with Gilas. We’ve always been behind our national team,” he said.
Pardo also said: Pingris “will represent the country because he wants to. We have no control over our players’ decision when it comes to competing for the national team. We do not deny that we debated on the merits of them joining as a professional player. However, in the end representing your country is an incomparable honor. You can’t argue with that.”
“I can speak for Alfrancis Chua (of Barangay Ginebra) and Robert Non (of San Miguel Beer). Our team management doesn’t stop our players from joining the national team if they want to,” Pardo added.
It could mean Junmar Fajardo might still be able to join Gilas Pilipinas if he recovers from his injuries on both feet in time.
San Miguel Corp. has been drawing criticisms since LA Tenorio, Fajardo and Pingris begged off from joining Gilas.
“We’re terribly hit at SMC when we had no control on these players’ decision. That’s why I talked to Ping (Pingris Tuesday night), telling him ‘make up your mind,’” said Pardo.
“You’ve visited your father in France and you’ve got your rest after our early exit (in the last PBA season). You’re not young anymore, and this may be your last chance to play for the national team,” Pardo also said, recalling his talk with Pingris.