Gilas women welcome joint training with men’s squad
MANILA, Philippines – The Gilas Pilipinas women’s team beams with excitement to share the court with its men’s counterparts as they both brace for a tall order of flying the flag high in the upcoming Asian Games on September 23 to October 8 in Hangzhou, China.
Head coach and program director Pat Aquino said it will be like “one big family” for both the Philippine basketball teams as they train together on a rare occasion Thursday at the Philsports Arena in Pasig City.
“We would like to thank coach Tim Cone for doing this. It’s also nice to see the Gilas together like one big family,” Aquino told The STAR after Cone’s announcement of the momentous event.
Cone on Tuesday shared that the stage has been set for the joint training of the two Philippine quintets and it will be open to the public at 4 p.m.
The addition of Gilas women, which was at the sidelines of the FIBA Basketball World Cup here and even met 2026 FIBA Women’s World Cup global ambassador Sue Bird, in the men’s camp will boost the team’s preparation since last month at the Aero Center in Quezon City.
Aside from home training, Gilas also embarked on overseas trips with participation in the FIBA Asia Cup Division A, the return of the Women’s Jones Cup and a pocket tournament in South Korea against Women’s Korean Basketball League teams.
Gilas actually started preparing for the Asiad as early as summer when it took home a pair of silver medals in the Cambodia Southeast Asian Games before claiming a historic sixth-place finish in the Asia Cup in Australia.
In the Jones Cup, Gilas also finished sixth while standing its ground against Korean squads. Gilas will also play against UAAP teams starting against Far Eastern U this weekend.
“The preparation is doing good and hoping that we can make our country proud again,” added Aquino, whose wards will be led by the veteran trio of Jack Animam, Afril Bernardino and Jack Animam.
Like the men’s teams, Gilas women already have an initial list submitted to the Philippine Olympic Committee (POC) and the Hangzhou Asian Games Organizing Committee but possible changes are anticipated.
Gilas women’s Hangzhou Asiad stint will mark its return to the continental stint for the first time since 1998, when coincidentally the Philippine centennialy team also under Cone won the bronze in Bangkok for the country’s last podium finish.
This time with inspiration from each other in joint training, the Philippine teams are determined to end the drought and bring home the country’s lost glory.
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