SBP determined to host Olympic wildcard qualifier for Gilas

MANILA, Philippines -- Samahang Basketbol ng Pilipinas executive director Sonny Barrios believes winning the bid for one of the three FIBA Olympic qualifying tournaments next year could greatly aid the underdog Gilas Pilipinas as the Filipinos look to punch a ticket to the Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in 2016.

Barrios said there’s no doubt that bringing the hosting rights back to Manila could easily draw the Filipino fans, who showed their passion and full support when Gilas finished with second in the 2013 FIBA-Asia men’s championships at the Mall of Asia Arena.

“From a purely basketball standpoint, we have little chance na manalo (in the FIBA Olympic qualifying) but with the way our Gilas team has been playing, we have shown to everyone na hindi na tayo pushover,” Barrios told Philstar.com on Thursday.

“Naipakita natin na sa quality ng games, hinahangaan na din tayo and being in your backyard, I believe susuportahan tayo while at the same time, the Filipino fans will be able to watch world-caliber basketball games,” he added.

The SBP executive explained that Manny V. Pangilinan, the national basketball governing body’s president, is determined to bring the hosting rights to Manila, hopeful that it could bring home-court advantage to Gilas.

No wonder, the national basketball federation is focused on gathering the important pieces of document since they formalized their intention to bid three weeks ago.

Barrios said they will have to comply with the hosting requirements to FIBA’s world head quarters in Geneva, Switzerland next Wednesday.

“Mabigat ang pinaglalabanan dito (Fiba Olympic qualifying), yung spot sa Oympics. And kami sa SBP, may deadline din kaming self-imposed this weekend dahil kailangan makapag-comply tayo sa procedures na na-set ng Fiba for the Nov. 11 deadline,” explained Barrios.

The Philippines fell short in its bid to earn an automatic Olympic berth when Gilas bowed to host China in the FIBA-Asia men’s championships last month in Changsa.

However, as a gesture of national support, the PBA has released 17 of its best players to the Gilas pool, which will begin practicing next Monday at the Meralco gym.

Leading the 17-man pool are PBA young big men June Mar Fajardo of San Miguel and Greg Slaughter of Barangay Ginebra.