Jack Animam (No. 75) will anchor the squad that may compete in Sydney. —DENISON REY A. DALUPANG
Simply earlier than dismissing his fees, Gilas Pilipinas ladies’s head coach Patrick Aquino known as for a huddle.
It wasn’t the same old form the place he heaps praises on a participant after which presents factors of enchancment for one more. On this one, on a sizzling steamy Monday afternoon at Aero Heart basketball health club in Quezon Metropolis, he reached for reminders.
“I used to be telling them how exhausting it was going out of a sure degree,” he informed the Inquirer.
“We don’t wish to be in that scenario once more the place we needed to begin from [Division B] once more. It was so exhausting getting as much as [this level]. You needed to undergo so many video games and be on the high of a division after which struggle out once more to [stay there].”
Gilas Pilipinas is ready to play in Division A of the Fiba (Worldwide Basketball Federation) Ladies’s Asia Cup subsequent month in Sydney, Australia, the place it battles the continent’s most interesting groups for one of many 4 spots within the Paris Olympic Video games.
But when the staff’s latest outing within the Southeast Asian Video games in Cambodia was some type of a sign, the Philippines might be going through tall odds within the event which will get going June 26.
Perilous route
Gilas’ lone loss within the biennial meet was towards eventual champion Indonesia, which doesn’t even play in Fiba’s high division.
Making the Philippines’ group section route much more perilous is a litter of heavyweights: Six-time winner and defending champion Japan, a perennial podium finisher Chinese language-Taipei and world energy Australia.
“I requested them to recollect the occasions once we fought exhausting [to get to Division A] as a result of that’s the one perspective we’ll want. ‘To get higher. Get even higher.” Aquino mentioned, referring to the Philippines’ top-flight standing it earned eight years in the past.
Gilas has to play to point out that it belongs, in accordance with the concurrent program director. Particularly now with second-tier groups now changing into even higher.
“We’ve been there for such a very long time already and I feel we have now to be on the similar degree because the groups competing there. We have to be up there,” Aquino mentioned.
“I don’t need us getting combined up with Indonesia and all these different groups. Like Jordan, which has a WNBA participant. Kazakhstan, which has all the time been tall. Malaysia which has all the time been [lurking]. Then there’s additionally Thailand raring to return again.”
Twice-a-day periods
The Gilas mind belief plans to make use of the identical roster it utilized in Phnom Penh, however it intends to make some tweaks to accommodate Duke starter Vanessa de Jesus, who just lately grew to become eligible to function a naturalized participant.
Additionally set to banner the squad is Jack Danielle Animam, who informed the Inquirer she is dedicated to enjoying for Gilas till the Asian Video games in China this September earlier than getting again on her quest to crack the WNBA.
Gilas will proceed coaching and sprucing its recreation at Aero earlier than cranking issues up with twice-a-day periods till they fly out for Sydney.
“All of the issues we should do in Cambodia, we have to do much more 1685049903,” mentioned Aquino.
“We’re not going there to only dangle round and attempt to win, hopefully, within the final recreation,” he added. “We have to be ready.”
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