17 PBA players named to Gilas pool

MANILA, Philippines - Gilas Pilipinas, with a solid backing from the pro league and the national cage federation, is going all out to put up a competitive team to the Olympic world qualifier in July next year.

The Philippine Basketball Association and the Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas have joined hands to give their full backing to Gilas Pilipinas, including the release of 17 PBA players to the national pool.

Junmar Fajardo, Marcio Lassiter, Japeth Aguilar, LA Tenorio, Jeff Chan and Paul Lee, six players not available to Team Phl in the recent Changsha meet, have been committed to what could be the strongest national pool formed in years.

Calvin Abueva, Gabe Norwood, Jayson Castro, Ranidel de Ocampo, Matt Ganuelas-Rosser, Marc Pingris, Terrence Romeo are holdovers from the last Gilas team also to be joined in by Greg Slaughter, Ryan Reyes, Troy Rosario and Ian Sanggalang.

The PBA board agreed to release all these players and, at the same time, adjust its season calendar to accommodate the training and actual participation of Gilas in the Olympic wildcard play.

“The PBA commits to fully support the formation of the Philippine national team that will participate in the wildcard Olympic qualifying tournament on July 5-10,” said PBA board chairman Robert Non.

“We know it’s a difficult task to compete (in the Olympic qualifier), but the full support of the PBA gives the SBP more confidence to go all out,” said Al Panlilio, Meralco’s representative to the PBA board. Panlilio also sits on the SBP board.

“The next question is whether the SBP will bid to host one of the three qualifiers. We’re already competing so we might as well bid to host and take advantage of the virtual sixth man that the home team enjoys,” Panlilio added.

He is confident the resolutions passed by the PBA board would be acceptable to the SBP.

“The spirit of the document is similar to what the SBP wants to see,” said the Meralco executive vice president.

In the special meeting, the PBA board also resolved to form an ad hoc committee that will ensure participation of the individual players.

“The PBA has approved the release of all the players. The ad hoc committee will talk to the players to ensure their participation,” said Non on the task of the committee composed of the league commissioner, Ginebra’s Alfrancis Chua, Talk n Text’s Patrick Gregorio and Rain or Shine’s Mert Mondragon.

To open a window period for the training of the national team, the PBA is adjusting the third conference of the 2015-16 season. The Governors Cup will now be played after the Olympic qualifier on July 10, 2016.

“The PBA shall also allow the PBA players so selected to attend practice sessions once a week, specifically every Monday for 28 weeks starting November, 2015,” Non added.

All players named to the pool have been Gilas players at one time or another except Reyes, Rosario and Sanggalang.

Lassiter, Aguilar and Slaughter were part of the original Gilas team under coach Rajko Toroman.

Fajardo, Tenorio, Aguilar, Chan, Lee, meanwhile, will be returnees from the Gilas team that competed in the 2014 World Cup and in the 2014 Incheon Asian Games.

Reyes was a member of the Powerade Phl team to the 2009 FIBA Asia Championship in Tianjin while Rosario and Sanggalang have played for the national team in the SEA Games. Rosario has also served as an alternate in the recent Changsha joust.

Andray Blatche could well still be the team’s main man at the frontline. Uncertain is the availability of Fil-Am NBA player Jordan Clarkson.

The PBA board showed a united front in announcing the result of their special meeting. Present were Non, Panlilio, Chua, Mondragon, Gregorio, vice chairman Erick Arejola, treasurer Ramoncito Fernandez, Star’s Rene Pardo, Barako Bull’s Manny Alvarez, Alaska’s Dickie Bachmann, Blackwater’s Silliman Sy and Mahindra’s Tom Alvarez.