Gilas Pilipinas is looking to overcome a manpower crisis and a short preparation time for the Southeast Asian Games by holding a closed-door camp at Inspire Sports Academy in Calamba, Laguna. National coach Chot Reyes wants to have everyone at the camp not just for basketball practices but also for the team's development. The Philippines aims to reclaim its lofty place in the biennial meet's basketball competition after losing to Indonesia in the Hanoi edition almost a year ago. However, several marquee names like Jamie Malonzo, Mikey Williams, and June Mar Fajardo have been stricken off the list for the final roster due to personal reasons and injuries.
Reyes said that the Gilas brain trust is not risking Fajardo, who is still recovering from a knee injury, while Scottie Thompson is also unlikely to join as he is expecting the birth of his first-born child. Reyes added that the team needs to do a lot of team development activities to build cohesion and synergy required to win in the Southeast Asian Games, given that these players will be playing for the first time. The intense camp will run until the contingent flies for Phnom Penh on May 6, and Inspire has been the venue for several training camps for Gilas Pilipinas.
TNT also held camp at the Calamba facility during its build-up for the 2020 PBA Philippine Cup bubble tournament. The Philippines is grouped with Malaysia, Vietnam, and Myanmar in the preliminary phase of the competition, which will begin on May 9. Gilas Pilipinas is hoping to win back the gold medal in the men's basketball tournament after Indonesia defeated them in 2019.
If you are a Filipino who loves basketball, this is not a great sign for the upcoming 2023 FIBA World Cup. It seems like full commitment is lacking for some of the elite players that we have. Without full commitment, a surprising run is possible.
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